By BRENT MARTIN

St. Joseph Post

Interstate 29, closed since widespread flooding heavily damaged the interstate in Iowa, has re-opened to traffic through northwest Missouri.

Repairs are ongoing in southwest Iowa, but enough has been done to re-open two lanes of I-29 between US Highway 34 and the Missouri border.

Iowa transportation official Scott Suhr says it took a lot of effort to return I-29 to a functional road.

“The contractor’s been in there working for the last several weeks and has made significant progress,” Suhr tells Radio Iowa. “It won’t be completely opened up to two lanes in each direction, motorists will experience some head to head situations — and also one lane through part of it.”

Suhr urges drivers to use caution.

The re-opening came much quicker than expected. Originally, it was projected that the interstate would re-open to traffic no earlier than the Memorial Day weekend.

The Iowa Department of Transportation has imposed lane restrictions and is not allowing anything wider than 20 feet on the newly re-opened portion of I-29.

Missouri transportation officials closed I-29 just north of St. Joseph after Iowa closed the interstate just north of the state line, because there was no adequate detour for traffic once motorists arrived at the state line.

It isn’t restored to normal, but it is passable, according to Suhr.

“The main thing is we are able to get some type of mobility restored from U-S 34 south to the Missouri line,” he says.

Iowa 2 from I-29 to Nebraska City remains closed due to flood damage.

Suhr says a number of contractors are making repairs throughout southwest Iowa, heavily damaged by Missouri River flooding.

Suhr says IDOT hopes to complete emergency highway repairs at the end of this month.

“Hopefully between now and Memorial Day weekend we will have everything opened up to some type of mobility.”