The Highway 30 Coalition recently released an economic impact study to better plead their case to make Highway 30 four lanes in two different portions of the state.

Highway 30 Coalition President Adam Schweers gave a report to the Greene County Development Corporation Board earlier this month. He said the study that was done by a third party engineering firm of Snyder and Associates looked at the economic impacts of having four lanes on the highway from Ogden to Carroll and Lisbon to DeWitt. 

Schweers pointed out some of the findings from the study showed that having needed highway infrastructure will not only benefit future economic growth, but also current industry. The study also included a cost-benefit analysis that for the next 40 years, with the cost of added maintenance, time saved traveling, and residual values, there was a 1.21 ratio benefit to cost for the state, with an estimated total of over $770 million of benefit to over $636 million in expenses. Schweers noted this analysis took into consideration a bypass around Grand Junction. 

“And so that was an important thing for us to show because that cost-benefits analysis that’s strictly on traffic, just on driving, has nothing to do with safety or other environmental factors, which would actually increase the cost-benefit analysis when those are factored in.”    

Schweers gave his opinion following the initial presentation of the study to the Iowa Department of Transportation.

“I can tell you that the DOT commissioners right now are still marching in the direction of building a ‘Super 2. ’ They’re very focused and captured on not adding anymore roads because they don’t see the vision of what it could do for the state and they’re only focuses is just maintaining what we have.” 

Schweers noted the next step is for the study to be presented to the governor’s office as well as the Iowa Economic Development Authority. He also asks everyone to talk with their state and local officials and write letters of support to the state legislators to see a four lane on Highway 30 from Ogden to Carroll. Click the link below to view the full and condensed reports.

Full report: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_wLqCZ8Qnb_h-korkiSqFsAzlsp5Z-sk/view

Condensed report: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mKq6H3aLcuaHipoGmmVGNoBhKpCCOfjp/view