Feds Green Light Alice’s Road Interchange

Construction can begin on a new Interstate 80 interchange at Alice’s Road in Waukee and 105th Street in West Des Moines as a result of action taken last week by the Federal Highway Administration.

The agency approved an environmental study in the affected area, which will open areas of Waukee and West Des Moines for construction, the Des Moines Register reports.

That means the interchange could open as early as 2015, paving the way for development along the Alice’s Road corridor, a key growth area for Waukee.

Approval of the environmental study ends a 15-month wait to ensure that construction doesn’t violate the Environmental Protection Act. Joe Trnka, an environmental specialist with the Kirkham Michael engineering firm, said the approval is an “important milestone” that will allow officials to proceed to the final design process.

The nearby discovery of an Indiana bat, an endangered species, was responsible for a six-month delay.