Iowa Department of Transportation – Iowa 2 Overflow Bridges

When a bomb cyclone struck Iowa in 2019, it deluged the state with significant amounts of rain and snow – with Iowa’s Highway 2, a main connector to Nebraska, severely affected by flooding. The increase in flooding caused traffic backups for needed goods, services, and the community – turning a 10-minute commute into an hour and a half wait due to that flooding. The Iowa Department of Transportation worked to complete a $35 million bridge levee project that eliminated bottleneck congestion and kept travelers safe on the Highway 2 bridges. The project reduced the risk of floods by constructing a new levee bridge that opened two months ahead of schedule. Coordinating with its partners, Iowa DOT’s operations efforts were able to save time and complete the bridge ahead of schedule.