Transportation Coalition Continues Planning For Future Needs
The future of transportation in the region was the topic of discussion between representatives from within the region.
Oskaloosa, Iowa – The future of transportation in Mahaska County, along with the counties and communities surrounding Oskaloosa, was the basis for interested parties to gather this past week.
Individuals from Marion, Wapello, Poweshiek, Iowa DOT and engineering firms that currently have ongoing projects in the area all met.
The transportation coalition is an informal gathering of different entities located along the US Highway 63 corridor, and those communities who depend upon the transportation infrastructure in which that highway system provides. The hope was that the round-table discussion would allow those communities that are interested in the transportation needs in the area would share ideas and concerns with each other.
“We’re informal on how we work together,” said Beth Danowsky, Coalition Chair. “We’re pretty informal because we want ideas on the table.”
The group hasn’t met in over a year, but their efforts to date have helped get Highway 63 added to the CIN, or Commercial Industrial Network, back in 2012. The Highway 63 Coalition is a relatively new coalition. Its six year history is less than those coalitions that are focused on Highway 20 and Highway 30.
“The improvement to 63 will help us bring industrial freight more efficiently and more safely,” to areas in the Highway 63 corridors, said Danowsky. Cargill in Eddyville pays a per bushel premium for delivery of corn to its facility because of the transportation infrastructure in the area. Cargill requires approximately 400 trucks a day to feed its facility with the needed material to do business. Nearly 90% of that grain comes from 50 to 90 miles north of Eddyville.
The Highway 63 corridor serves companies that export their goods to 77 countries, with 70% of all companies withing the corridor area being exporters. The state-wide average is 39%. Four of Iowa’s 10 largest industries use the Highway 63 corridor.
Jim Armstrong, Engineer with the Iowa Department of Transportation, updated the group about the by-pass progress and the time-frame for construction.
Much of the information presented at the December public meeting, at the Oskaloosa High School cafeteria, was presented to the group in relation to interchange locations.
Currently, HR Green is collecting data for wetland and habitat areas, with archeological and architectural sites data also being collected for the by-pass area. That report is due in April to the Iowa DOT, in order to determine if a second phase of study is needed.
This is all part of the Iowa Department of Transportation study for a 2 lane by-pass around the northwest portion of Oskaloosa. This is in hope of relieving the truck traffic issue within Oskaloosa.
The preferred alternative route will be presented to the public in January of 2017.
When it comes to the proposed South Central Regional Airport, Jim Hansen, Chairman of the SCRAA Board, updated the committee about the environmental assessment study.
To this point, the proposed airport has gone through the site selection process to reach a preferred site. The airport layout plan has been submitted to FAA and Hansen says they expect approval on that plan, “any day”.
Also completed is the Master Plan for the airport, which has been submitted to the FAA and approval of that is expected at any time.
“Once those are approved, we can go to the next step which is the Environment Assessment,” said Hansen. “The Environmental Assessment will take, I suppose, 9 or 10 months.”
After a public hearing at the end of the environmental study, the commentary is submitted to the FAA. Potentially, SCRAA could then begin the process of acquiring real estate. “We are thinking a 3 year window for the acquisition of real estate,” said Hansen. “Two years for construction.”
Hansen says that by 2021 or 2022, the new regional airport could be functioning. “At that point, both the Oskaloosa and current Pella airports will be closed.”
Doing a Five County Freight Study on behalf of the Southeast Iowa Transportation Coalition was also discussed.
The study will involve an analysis of freight service needs within the 5-county area, which includes Mahaska, Marion, Monroe, Poweshiek, and Wapello Counties. The work to be performed will address economic impacts associated with alternative improvement options and an analysis of existing, and likely future, freight service needs for the area.
