NORTH LIBERTY — Travelers passing alongside North Liberty on Interstate 380 likely have noticed heavy equipment moving earth recently.

While not much to look at yet, those dirt paths near the Forevergreen Road Bridge are slated to become the Corridor’s latest interchange and a crucial first step toward the Iowa Department of Transportation’s $300 million overhaul of the I-380/Interstate 80 interchange.

“This interchange has long been needed,” said Nick Bergus, North Liberty communications director. “Being able to see Forevergreen Road connect with I-380 is pretty important to us. It’s pretty important to the whole community and it’s going to drive growth.”

Work on a $13.1 million diamond interchange where I-380 and Forevergreen Road meet is expected to carry through the winter months as crews build the supports for a new bridge just to the south of the existing overpass, said Cathy Cutler, transportation planner with Iowa DOT’s District 6 office in Cedar Rapids.

Forevergreen Road’s interchange is a state project, but it also includes about $6 million of work to pave and update Forevergreen Road east to about Jones Boulevard. The state will take on that work with the city paying back $5 million, Bergus said.

The bulk of Forevergreen Road work should be done in 2019, when the state begins transitioning to the five-year overhaul of the Highway 218, I-80 and I-380 interchange.

Corridor interchange projects

Some relocation of utilities is taking place now near the interchange, with more work on I-80/I-380 scheduled to begin in 2019.

Major traffic impacts are expected in 2020 and 2021, Cutler said.

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With some ramps set to close for entire construction seasons as the 50-year-old cloverleaf interchange transforms into a modern turbine design, adding an interchange now at Forevergreen Road will help handle detoured traffic.

“In the grand scheme, this is helping us prepare for the I-80/I-380 interchange. The Forevergreen Road interchange will be able to help us manage our traffic,” Cutler said.

Cutler said the state is drafting an application for federal funds that, if received, could accelerate the time frame for the I-80/I-380 work.

In addition to the state’s interchange projects, local officials in Coralville, Iowa City and North Liberty also face projects on main arterial streets — some of which will take on heavier traffic once the I-80/I-380 interchange project starts forcing detours.

l Comments: (319) 339-3175; mitchell.schmidt@thegazette.com