SOUTHWEST ARTERIAL

SOUTHWEST ARTERIAL. County supervisors and city council members in 1993 decided to reject the original Southwest Arterial route which ran through part of Dubuque. While a new route was not being suggested, residents in the southern part of the city were concerned that it might come close to TABLE MOUND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. One possible route placed the highway within "a couple of blocks of the school." (1) The possibility of the road running through FDR Park created the possibility of dealing with mining shafts that dotting the park. Officials stated that studies would be made of the roads impact on vegetation, animals, historic sites and noise and air pollution as required by the Iowa Department of Transportation. (2)

City officials announced on January 1, 1997 that the environmental assessment and corridor location study was included in the Iowa Department of Transportation's five year construction plans. WHKS & Company of Mason City was chosen to lead the study which was expected to take eighteen months. The company would conduct interviews with local officials to determine their opinions, determine environmental impacts, and choose a preferred route for the road. The company would also review the last corridor study done in 1985 which had suggested the route should be along Cedar Cross Road. (3)

After the alignment was determined, state officials could consider the road for part of their five-year plan. Local officials would then begin trying to purchase right-of-way. While state officials stated that at best construction would not begin for another seven years, local officials were optimistic that community support could shorten that timeline. (4)

On January 28, 1997 consultants, part of the team doing an environmental impact study of the proposed highway, met with the policy committee of the Dubuque Area Transportation Study. This was the fourth of eight meetings to be held with groups having an interest in the arterial. At the January meeting, those in attendance were asked to share their ideas of the route the road should follow. All but one of the twenty believed the new road should align with the NORTHWEST ARTERIAL. Other questions included how to handle potential intersections with North Cascade, Oakland Farms, and MILITARY ROAD and whether the arterial was to move traffic or encourage economic development of property. The site of ending the arterial resulted in such responses as the intersection of Old Davenport Road and Highway 61/151, midway between Highway 52 and where 61/151 merge and the Lake Eleanor Road and 61/151 intersection. (5)

On February 26, 1997 the proposed corridor of the arterial was reduced from four choices to two. These choices were agreed upon in separate meetings held with the policy committee of the Dubuque Area Metropolitan Transportation Study and the arterial steering committee after receiving input from community leaders and residents who attended eight meetings of small groups. Both routes began at the Northwest Arterial. (6)

The possibility that the Northwest and Southwest arterials might not meet was announced on March 15, 1997. It was then suggested that the Southwest Arterial would be aligned with the extension of Seippel Road. The policy committee of the Dubuque Area Metropolitan Transportation Study voted unanimously to include the new starting point in the second phase of the arterial's location study and environmental assessment. (7)

Diagram of potential corridors. Image courtesy: Telegraph Herald

As of October 1997 two potential corridors remained in the location study--labeled in the illustration as "B" and "C." They began at U. S. 20. There were three ending points on U. S. 151/61. City officials were aware that state engineers would not design the road soon, but made their preferences clear. To allow good traffic flow, there should be above-ground interchanges where the arterial closed other roads. (8)

In April 1998 a route that local leaders had approved would not go through Key West as originally thought, but would displace ten businesses. Beginning near Old Davenport Road, the proposed route would impact a corner of MOUNT OLIVET CEMETERY and the southwest corner of FDR Park. On the north-end of the road, however, it would cause Mike Finnin Motors, Riley Olds-Mazda-Subaru, Rex TV and Appliance, Tires Plus, WHITE FRONT FEED & HATCHERY, Slumberland Furniture, Oak Street, and WORD OF LIFE MINISTRIES to be relocated. Estimates at $5.00 per foot meant the cost of acquiring these properties would be $9 million. (9)

In 2000 after nearly a year of concerns about the effectiveness of the proposed route and its impact on individuals and businesses, a change was ordered. The Iowa Department of Transportation concluded that the new road must connect with Highway 20 further west than had been planned. (10)

These mounds of earth mark the site of an archaeological "dig" west of Dubuque in 2013. Federal law in 2013 required an archaeological survey of any lands being excavated for construction. This included the area for the Bee Branch flood prevention project and land just west of Dubuque for new highway construction. "Digs," excavations of sites looking for artifacts in 2012 and 2013 west of Dubuque found remains of hunting camps dating back 7,000 years.

Dueling state and federal lawsuits from the City of Dubuque and the Central Iowa Water Association were aimed in the spring of 2016 to prevent each other from encroaching on the Southwest Arterial corridor. Each of the parties wanted the right to provide water service to the areas the city planned to annex. Central Iowa Water Association officials reported that by June, 2016 the company had spent in excess of $400,000 defending its position. The City of Dubuque had spent nearly $225,000. Dubuque officials had proposed constructing a water main and new pumping station to those requesting it along English Mill Road and eventually North Cascade Road and U. S. 20. This would provide a "closed-loop" system providing water in the Southwest Arterial area. CIWA argued this would infringe on its service area. The issue was to be presented in a non-jury trial set for September 20, 2016. (11)

In July of 2016 six homes and some farm structures were put up for auction which set in the path of the proposed highway. Constructed in the early to mid-1990s, the homes continued to have value. City officials hope they could be sold and moved by the purchasers rather than being torn down. Public auctions were scheduled for Saturday, August 13th at each property which was sold in as-is condition. (12)

The auction resulted in each house receiving multiple bids, except the last one which was sold for $1.00. The home prices received were $57,000; $39,500; $1,000, $1,250; $500.00 and $1.00. Farm buildings brought $600. Even the bid of $1.00 was considered positive because the city would have been faced with paying between $25,000 and $30,000 to demolish the home. (13)

Community leaders gathered on October 11, 2016 near North Cascade Road to celebrate the start of construction of the $151 million Southwest Arterial. Running from U.S. 20 near Seippel Road to U.S. 61/151 south of Old Davenport Road near Business Park, the two land road will eventually be expanded to four lanes. (14)

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Source:

1. "Eiler, Donnelle. "Southwest Arterial Route Questioned," Telegraph Herald, September 30, 1993, p. 3A

2. Eiler, Donnelle. "SW Arterial Proposal Concerns Residents," Telegraph Herald, July 3, 1993, p. 3A

3. McDermott, Brad. "Study to Step Up Creation of Southwest Arterial," Telegraph Herald, January 1, 1997, p. 2. Online: https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=aEyKTaVlRPYC&dat=19970101&printsec=frontpage&hl=en

4. Ibid.

5. McDermott, Brad. "Consultants Explore Southwest Arterial Routes," Telegraph Herald, January 29, 1997, p. 3A. Online: https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=aEyKTaVlRPYC&dat=19970129&printsec=frontpage&hl=en

6. McDermott, Brad. "2 Routes, 3 End Points Remain in Study," Telegraph Herald, February 27, 1997, p. 1. Online: https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=aEyKTaVlRPYC&dat=19970227&printsec=frontpage&hl=en

7. McDermott, Brad. "Arterials Might Not Meet," Telegraph Herald, March 15, 1997, p. 1. Online: Dubuque Area Metropolitan Transportation Study

8. McDermott, Brad. "Wheels Turning: 2003 Might See a Road," Telegraph Herald, October 5, 1997, p. 3F. Online: https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=aEyKTaVlRPYC&dat=19971004&printsec=frontpage&hl=en

9. Wilkinson, Jennifer. "Businesses in Arterial's Path," Telegraph Herald, April 2, 1998, p. 1. Online: https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=aEyKTaVlRPYC&dat=19980402&printsec=frontpage&hl=en

10. "Chronology," Telegraph Herald, January 1, 2001, p. 33

11. Barton, Thomas A. "A Turf War Over Water," Telegraph Herald, June 26, 2016, p. 1

12. Descorbeth, Shirley. "Dubuque to Hold House Auctions for Southwest Arterial Road Project," KWWL.com. Online: http://www.kwwl.com/story/32583088/2016/07/31/dubuque-to-hold-house-auctions-for-southwest-arterial-project

13. "City of Dubuque Auctions off 6 Homes," Telegraph Herald, August 16, 2016, p. 6B

13. "Southwest Arterial Project to Hit Accelerator," Telegraph Herald, January 1, 2017, p. 78