Crews have finished paving a 26-mi. stretch of Highway 20 between Rockwell City and Early, Iowa, making the highway four lanes all the way from Dubuque to Early. The road expansion project —which should be open by Thanksgiving — will shave 100 mi. off a trucker’s round trip from Early to Chicago, according to U.S. Congressman Steve King.
“All of western Iowa benefits tremendously. Think of trucking companies that are headed to Chicago. This will cut 100 miles out of their route to Chicago and back,” King said in a KCAU News report.
“It’s going to be good for economics, not just for Early but for the whole area because this is the largest portion of the state that doesn’t have a four-lane highway transecting it,” according to Sharon Irwin, mayor of Early.
The Iowa DOT says will invest another $95 million to further expand Highway 20 to four lanes, from Moville, East to Correctionville. Work on that project will begin in 2014.
