Major Highway Project Continues In Cedar Falls

Motorists traveling through a construction zone on Iowa Highway 58 in Cedar Falls will notice a traffic pattern switch, beginning Monday, April 30, 2018.

The Iowa Department of Transportation has moved traffic to a head-to-head direction on the southbound lanes of the four-lane divided highway at the Viking Road intersection. Both directions of Viking Road traffic are now using the westbound lanes, as well.

According to IDOT officials, the new traffic patterns will continue for several months. Vehicles on Iowa 58 are expected to continue going head-to-head through late November. The traffic pattern on Viking Road will be in place on the westbound lanes until mid-summer, when vehicles will be shifted to the eastbound lanes.

The IDOT has lowered the speed limit on both roads while the head-to-head traffic patterns are in place. The speed limit on Iowa 58 is reduced from 55 mph to 45 mph, while the top limit on Viking Road has dropped from 45 mph to 35 mph in the construction zone.

Officials are encouraging motorists to use alternate routes, if possible. They warn that the traffic pattern changes will likely cause backups and delays at certain times.

Alternate routes for local traffic to avoid congestion on Iowa 58 would be Hudson Road or Cedar Heights Drive. Motorists could also use U.S. Highway 218, and U.S. Highway 63 south of U.S. 218.

The construction work at Iowa 58 and Viking Road is part of a $32.1 million project to build an interchange at one of the Cedar Valley's most-dangerous intersections. The interchange is expected to improve traffic flow and reduce the statistically high number of accidents that have occurred there in recent years.