Today, the Iowa Transportation Commission approved new road improvement projects, including enhancements to U.S. 63 in Tama County and safety upgrades to two of northeast Iowa’s most dangerous intersections. HWY 58 and Greenhill Road in Cedar Falls and U.S.151 and Linn County Road X-20 in Springville are notorious intersections for crashes, including fatalities. Both intersections have been approved for grade-separated interchanges, where either an underpass or overpass will be constructed.  

Because of the $5 billion in funding coming to Iowa from the bipartisan infrastructure bill, the Commission was able to add eight new projects in the state to its five-year Highway Program to address operations needs and safety concerns, including the two interchange projects, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation. 

Iowa also has 4,500 bridges in poor condition, ranking it one of the worst in the nation. Overall, the Biden Administration is allocating to Iowa $3.4 billion for highways and $432 million bridge repairs and replacements. 

The bipartisan Infrastructure bill funding will also bring broadband to rural areas and rebuild parts of Iowa’s lock-and-dam system. In January, U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson took credit for $829 million in lock-and-dam funding that came directly from this infrastructure bill–on which she voted no. In November, Hinson not only voted against the infrastructure bill, but called this same infrastructure package “Washington Gamesmanship, Spending at Its Worst”.

Mathis’ statement: “It is inexcusable that instead of doing her job and voting to secure funding to improve these two deadly intersections in her district, Ashley Hinson sided with the extreme members in her party who treat bipartisanship like it’s a dirty word, and voted no. By voting against the infrastructure bill – that members of the Iowa delegation from both parties voted in favor of – Hinson put Washington politics ahead of Iowa lives. In Washington, I will always put Iowans first and work across the aisle to pass legislation that enhances safety, business operations and supply chain improvements.” 

Original source can be found here.