The Iowa Transportation Commission has officially approved a major Highway 75 improvement project in northern Sioux Center as part of the state’s Fiscal Year 2027-2031 Transportation Improvement Program.
The project is not new to residents. Iowa DOT officials previously outlined plans for the corridor during a public information meeting and in discussions with local media. However, the commission’s approval formally places the project in the state’s five-year transportation plan and keeps it on track for construction in 2028.
The DOT-led project will improve Highway 75 from 12th Street Northeast in Sioux Center north to just south of the U.S. 18 junction. The corridor improvements will include pavement replacement, intersection upgrades, additional turn lanes, a pedestrian path, and other safety enhancements.
Construction Now Planned for 2028
While earlier discussions centered on a 2027 construction start, Iowa DOT District 3 Transportation Planner Sarah Tracy says the schedule has shifted.
“At the time, we thought we were going to start the project in the spring of 2027, but now it is a spring of 2028. So that’s probably the biggest update.”
Improvements Planned Along the Corridor
Plans call for a new traffic signal and intersection reconfiguration at Highway 75 and 12th Street Northeast, a median and additional turn lanes between 12th and 20th Streets Northeast, a southbound right-turn lane at 20th Street, a pedestrian path along the east side of the highway, and additional turn-lane improvements at 360th Street and both B-30 intersections.
Tracy says the project will involve significantly more work than a typical resurfacing project.
“It’s complete pavement removal. So they’ll remove all the pavement and then replace that all with concrete. So it’s a bigger undertaking than, you know, when we come in and overlay, we’re just putting a layer of pavement on top of what’s there. This is going to rip everything out.”
The DOT-funded reconstruction project covers approximately six miles of Highway 75 and is currently estimated at roughly $20 million.
Part of Iowa’s Five-Year Transportation Plan
The Highway 75 project is among the highway and bridge projects included in Iowa’s newly approved five-year transportation plan, which outlines approximately $4.2 billion in state and federal investments through 2031.
According to the Iowa DOT, the program prioritizes improvements to existing highways and bridges, safety enhancements, and projects that improve the efficient movement of people and freight across the state.
