News Release

DOT receives award for pavement durability

AMES, Iowa – The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) is pleased to accept a Lifetime Pavement Performance Award for Interstate 29 in Monona County from the American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA).

The award was accepted by Iowa DOT Director Nancy Richardson on behalf of the department for this pavement originally built in 1961. In the award documentation, the ACPA noted this 14-mile stretch of I-29 has delivered great benefits for the motoring public. From milepost 112.30 to milepost 126.63, I-29 has carried the load and, in the process, provided a very inexpensive and durable surface. 

This section of original interstate concrete pavement has served motorists for four and a half decades, while only intended to perform for two. Construction of this section of roadway was originally let as two different projects, both awarded to the same contractor, Cameron, Joyce and Company of Keokuk.  The two projects included four-lane, interstate paving of 10-inch jointed, plain concrete pavement at a length of approximately 14 miles (56 lane miles).  A significant portion (about 44 percent) of the project included some 10-inch jointed, reinforced concrete pavement.  Cement was supplied by Ash Grove, Lehigh, Atlas, Missouri Portland, and Lone Star. 

One interesting aspect of construction, the subgrade was covered with plastic film just before paving.  Plastic film was also used for curing.  The original contract prices ranged from $5.55 per square yard to $5.86 per square yard for concrete paving.  In 2004, the average annual daily traffic for this section of I-29 was more than 12,500 vehicles per day with 25 percent of that traffic being large trucks. The Iowa DOT estimates that since its construction, I-29 in Monona County has carried four times as many trucks as it was originally designed to carry. 

According to the Iowa DOT's District 3 Office in Sioux City that provides maintenance for this stretch of I-29, only routine maintenance is planned for the next three to four years.

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