Sioux Center officials hope to reopen the Seventh Street crossing over Highway 75 by the end of this week, while the return of concrete crews could move the final year of reconstruction closer to a mid-to-late fall traffic reopening.
City Manager Scott Wynja says progress remains steady despite recent rainy days slowing work in areas where the roadbed has not yet been stabilized.
Seventh Street Could Reopen This Week
The most immediate change could come at Seventh Street, a major east-west route serving Dordt University, area schools and the All Seasons Center. Crews must finish sidewalk work at the intersection and prepare the traffic signals to operate as flashing red lights.
“Towards the end of the week, we hope to get some of that east-west traffic moving before school starts next week,” Wynja said.
Underground work has also reached a significant milestone.
“Most of the utilities, they finished the last sanitary sewer underground work last week,” Wynja said. “So predominantly, most of the utility underground work is completed.”
Crews are continuing to place rock subbase beneath the future pavement and working to restore temporary access near Ninth Street and Econo Lodge. Wynja says another temporary access could potentially be established near 11th Street for Member’s Cut, Scooter’s, NAPA and surrounding businesses.
Attention is now turning toward the next round of paving.
“We do anticipate the concrete crew moving back in within the next week or so here, and then they’ll start doing some of that mainline paving again over the course of the next few weeks,” Wynja said.
Traffic Reopening Targeted for Fall
Wynja says mid-to-late fall is the current target for getting concrete in place and restoring Highway 75 traffic, although the schedule remains dependent on weather.
Asked whether traffic should be restored by Thanksgiving, Wynja said that remains a reasonable expectation.
“Yeah, certainly … by then, I would think,” Wynja said. “Again, I’m always guarded on that … weather holding. You start getting around that first part of November, the weather starts changing and getting colder.”
Reopening the highway will not mean every part of the project is finished. Backfill, sidewalks, medians, streetlight bases, poles and electrical conduit will still require attention. Wynja says some median work can be completed under single-lane closures after highway traffic returns.
The current construction is the fourth and final year of Sioux Center’s approximately 2.5-mile Highway 75 reconstruction. This year’s main work extends from Fifth Street North to about 12th Street North, just south of the McDonald’s intersection.
DOT-Led Project Planned Farther North
After a construction reprieve in 2027, a separate Iowa DOT-led project is scheduled to begin north of Sioux Center in 2028.
The Iowa Transportation Commission approved the approximately six-mile project in June as part of its five-year transportation program. It will extend from 12th Street Northeast to just south of the U.S. Highway 18 junction and include complete pavement replacement, intersection improvements, additional turn lanes, a pedestrian path and other safety upgrades.
Wynja says the city currently understands that work from the present project endpoint to about the Carmel intersection would take place in 2028, followed by construction from Carmel to Perkins Corner in 2029.
Unlike the current Sioux Center phase, Iowa DOT would have the primary role in developing and managing that project. The city’s involvement would be limited largely to assisting residents and businesses during construction.
“The DOT will once again … be predominantly leading that project,” Wynja said. “But … we’ll certainly partner with them with information, public releases, access routes … when the time comes.”
DGR Engineering is expected to provide a more detailed update on the current Highway 75 project during the Sioux Center City Council meeting Monday, August 24.
