Interstate 235 (Iowa)
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| Interstate 235 Auxiliary route of the Interstate Highway System |
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| Maintained by IADOT | |||||||||
_map.svg) Iowa's Interstate Highways with I-235 highlighted in red. |
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| Length: | 13.78 mi[1] (22.18 km) | ||||||||
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| Formed: | First segment opened 14 December 1961; completely opened 30 October 1968 [2] | ||||||||
| West end: |   I-35 / I-80 in West Des Moines |
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| Major junctions: |
 US 69 in Des Moines US 6 in Des Moines |
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| East end: | I-35 / I-80 in Ankeny |
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>Interstate 235 (abbreviated I-235) in Iowa, also known as the MacVicar Freeway, is a 13.8 mile-long freeway through the Des Moines metropolitan area. It is a side route of Interstate 35 that passes though the city, while the main route I-35 skirts it. At both its western terminus and its northern terminus, I-235 connects with the junction of Interstate 35 and Interstate 80 (I-235 travels in an east–west direction before turning north–south east of downtown Des Moines), and it passes through the cities of West Des Moines, Windsor Heights and Des Moines. It is the only Interstate Highway that travels through downtown Des Moines; both Interstate 35 and Interstate 80 (which are co-designated through the northern Des Moines metropolitan area) do not pass through the city center.
I-235 is locally known as the MacVicar Freeway, in honor of two former mayors of Des Moines: John MacVicar, Sr., (1896-1900, 1916-1918, 1928) and John MacVicar, Jr., (1942-1948); the latter also served as the city's street commissioner in the 1930s. The name was adopted by the Des Moines city council in October 1963. [3]
Interstate 235 in Iowa officially finished a major reconstruction in October 2007, though small construction projects are on-going, and the ends are still being reconstructed, particularly at the East Mixmaster.
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[edit] Route description
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This section requires expansion. |
[edit] Exit list
The entire route is in Polk County.
| Location | Mile[4] | # | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Des Moines | 123A | I-35 south – Kansas City |
Western terminus | |
| 123B | I-35 north / I-80 east – Minneapolis, Chicago |
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| 0.33 | 1A | 50th Street – West Des Moines | Westbound exit/eastbound entrance only | |
| 1.32 | 1B | Valley West Drive – West Des Moines | ||
| 2.14 | 2 | 22nd Street – West Des Moines, Clive | ||
| Windsor Heights | 3.07 | 3 | 73rd/8th Street – Windsor Heights, West Des Moines | |
| Des Moines | 3.83 | 4 |  IA 28 (63rd Street) – Windsor Heights |
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| 4.48 | 5A | 56th Street | Westbound exit/eastbound entrance only | |
| 5.35 | 5B | 42nd Street | ||
| 6.15 | 6 | 31st Street – Terrace Hill Historic Site | ||
| 7.16 | 7A | MLK Jr Parkway, 19th Street –  Des Moines International Airport |
Westbound exits are combined as Exit 7. | |
| 7.38 | 7B | Keo Way – Bus Terminal | ||
| 8.00 | 8A | Downtown Des Moines, Iowa Events Center | ||
| 8.69 | 8B | East 6th Street, Penn Avenue | ||
| 9.40 | 9 | US 69 (East 14th Street, East 15th Street) |
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| 10.05 | 10A |  IA 163 (East University Avenue) – State Fairgrounds |
Signed as Exit 10 westbound | |
| 10.53 | 10B | To IA 163 (Easton Boulevard) – East University Avenue |
Eastbound exit/entrance only. | |
| 11.28 | 11 | Guthrie Avenue | ||
| 12.17 | 12 | US 6 (East Euclid Avenue) – Grand View University |
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| Ankeny | 13.78 | 138A | I-35 south / I-80 west – Council Bluffs, Kansas City |
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| 138B | I-80 east – Davenport |
Eastern terminus |
[edit] Pedestrian Bridges
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This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2009) |
As part of the highway corridor improvements plan a series of three pedestrian bridges, located at 6th, 40th and 44th streets were constructed across the interstate to replace existing unattractive steel girder structures surrounded by chain link fences. These highly visible bridges act as icons, locating the neighborhoods for travelers along the freeway.
The new design utilizes basket-handle steel arches with clear spans of approximately 230’ (80m). Inclined cables connect the steel blue arches to the pre-stressed concrete deck. By selecting a tied arch form, the Iowa Department of Transportation was able to keep disruption of traffic to a minimum during construction. An innovative curved screen system is used to enhance security and the appearance of the structure creating a visually appealing experience for pedestrians and bicyclists using the bridge. The resulting series of bridges has created a distinctive form that is unique to the city and the state. These highly visible bridges now act as icons marking the location of neighborhoods and landmarks such as the Botanical Center for travelers along the freeway.
The three Des Moines Pedestrian Bridges were completed in 2004. They include:
- Edna M. Griffin Memorial Bridge
- 40th Street Pedestrian Bridge
- 44th Street Pedestrian Bridge
Boston-based transportation architects Rosales + Partners, Inc. were the bridge architects in charge of preparing aesthetic guidelines for the entire 1-235 corridor, including the conceptual design of the three pedestrian bridges. Rosales + Partners, Inc. also worked with an advisory aesthetic committee and prepared visualizations and physical models. HNTB Corporation completed the final design.
[edit] References
- ^ "Route Log and Finder List - Interstate System - Table 2". Federal Highway Administration. 2006-10-31. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/reports/routefinder/table2.cfm. Retrieved 2007-06-23.
- ^ Oglesby, Scott. 3-digit Interstates from I-35. Kurumi. URL accessed 23 February 2005.
- ^ Des Moines Register article, "Super Road Slices Through City," November 24, 1993
- ^ Iowa Department of Transportation (2001). Primary Road Sufficiency Log. Retrieved December 26, 2008.
[edit] External links
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