It's been more than four years since reconstruction work began on the I-380/I-80 interchange just west of Coralville. This week, it takes another giant leap forward with the opening of a key off-ramp/on-ramp.

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The Iowa Department of Transportation has announced that they'll be opening the off-ramp from I-380 southbound that becomes an on-ramp for I-80 westbound on Thursday, November 3.

The ramp's opening will be the second major change for southbound I-380 travelers heading to I-80, in the last three months. The I-380 southbound to I-80 eastbound flyover off-ramp/on-ramp opened on Friday, August 19.

The new opening of the I-380 southbound to I-80 westbound, scheduled to take place Thursday morning, should make things much easier for drivers. Whether you're planning to go westbound or eastbound on I-80, via southbound I-380, you'll be taking the same off-ramp, which will then split. You'll get to the right to go westbound on I-80 and to the left to go eastbound.

The first ramps to open at the new interchange happened back in December of 2020. Early that month, the ramp from I-80 eastbound to southbound Highway 218 opened to traffic. A couple of weeks later, just before Christmas, the I-80 eastbound ramp to northbound I-380 opened.

Two additional ramps are expected to open in the near future. Both the I-80 westbound ramp to southbound U.S. 218 and the U.S. 218 northbound ramp to westbound I-80 should open this fall or winter.

Reconstruction work on the I-380/I-80 interchange started on August 20, 2018, and the end is now less than two years away, with completion scheduled for August 2024. You may be saying "only" another two years, but we're about 70% of the way there. That sounds a lot better to me.

Work has also begun on the reconstruction of the I-80 interchange at 1st Avenue in Coralville. More major construction is expected to begin in late March or early April of next year. You can see more on that project below.

IDOT Reconstruction Plan For I-80 & First Avenue in Coralville

 

 

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