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WEBVTT THIS -- ISDESIGNED TO MAKE THIS MIXMASTERSAFER.THIS IS AN ANGLE THAT YOU RARELYSEE.THE IOWA DOT WANTS TO MAKE ITSAFER.>> WE ARE WORRIED THAT THEEXISTING RAMPS WILL MEETOVERCAPACITY.TODD: THE ENGINEER EXPLAINS THEBIG CHANGES WILL BE CENTERED ONTHE RAMPS.MOST NOTICEABLE WILL BE THEELIMINATION OF THE LEFT-HANDEXIT RAMP.THE DOT WILL BUILD A TWO LANEFLYOVER BRIDGE THAT WILL MOVETRAFFIC OVER THE MIXMASTER.T█HEY ALSO PLAN TO REPLACE THEEASTBOUND RAMP TOWARD DOWNTOWNDES MOINES.WITH LONGER AND SMOLDERED --SMOOTHER LANES.>> IT WILL HELP PEOPLE STAY ONTHE ROAD.WE HAVE A LOT OF ACCIDENTS WITHTHE INTERCHANGES.

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Officials with the Iowa Department of Transportation unveiled multimillion-dollar changes Monday for Des Moines' 50-year-old East Mixmaster. The East Mixmaster is located where I-235, Interstate 35 and Interstate 80 meet just north of downtown. The $56 million project is designed to make the area safer by changing the way over 160,000 commuters drive through it each day. “We're worried that the existing ramps will be over capacity in the next 15 to 20 years,” Iowa DOT engineer Scott Dockstader said. Dockstader said the project would eliminate the left-hand entrance ramp that carries eastbound traffic north toward Minneapolis. The Iowa DOT will build a two-lane flyover bridge that will move traffic over the mixmaster and connect with northbound I-35 on the right side. It also plans to replace the eastbound ramp toward downtown Des Moines and the westbound ramp toward Ankeny with longer and smoother lanes. “(It will) improve the geometry of the curve to help people stay on the road,” Dockstader said. “Right now, we have a lot of accidents with the system's interchange. There is a lot of traffic (and) a lot of people seem to be sliding off the roads.” The Iowa DOT will hold an informational meeting on the project October 26 at the Des Moines North Maintenance Shop located at 1530 NE 53rd Avenue in Des Moines. The plan is to begin this project in 2022 and it should be completed by the end of 2023.