SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — With temperatures continuing to rise, Sioux City officials and the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) began the yearly tradition of road maintenance and construction.

While Spring showers bring May flowers, springtime brings road construction. The Iowa DOT has a variety of construction projects in the works for the year ranging from bridges to major roadways.

“So, what the project entails is reconstruction of U.S. [Highway] 20 from essentially the bridge at the interchange east two miles till Little Whiskey Creek. And then we got bridge deck overlays on that pair of bridges,” said Dakin Schultz with the Iowa DOT.

Reconstruction is expected to begin on Highway 20 starting Tuesday, March 28, between Sioux City and Lawton. The project will create one lane driving eastbound towards Lawton for the first year and one lane heading west into Sioux City the next.

Schultz said later into the year, the east bound lane towards Lawton will be closed resulting in vehicles merging into the other lane.

“So, what’s gonna happen is we’re gonna reduce lanes, we’re gonna slow traffic down in that stretch. That’ll be the big impact, the other impact is getting on and off of U.S. 20,” said Schultz.

In Sioux City, officials have announced plans for roughly 30 construction projects for 2023 so far.

“These are complete rebuilds/reconstructions, sewer, sanitary, water, curb, gutter, sidewalk,” said Gordon Phair, Sioux City city engineer.

Alongside new projects, city officials also plan to finish up some of last year’s projects.

“Dace Avenue bridge, it started I think after July 5 last year. It carried on into the winter, then it got too cold for them to do any kind of concrete work, so we shut the project down and opened the bridge back up. Now, we’re gonna close it back down on Monday and then they’re gonna continue on,” said Phair.

Sioux City officials are expecting projects to take less than a year, while the Iowa DOT believes their project will take much longer.

“Most of them are gonna be done the end of this year, so by Thanksgiving. A couple of them, maybe one, will continue on till next year,” said Phair.

“It’ll take two years to do the project, yup,” said Schultz.

KCAU 9 will have a link to all up and coming construction projects for Sioux City and the Iowa DOT. Click Here for Sioux City and Click Here for the Iowa DOT.