Politics & Government
Iowa DOT to Make Changes After Recent Series of Interstate 80 Semi Accidents
The Iowa Department of Transportation has indicated it will make changes to Interstate 80 between Iowa City and Coralville to prevent a repeat of this week's spate of semi accidents in that stretch of highway.
A series of semi truck accidents on a stretch of Interstate 80 that runs through Iowa City between the Herbert Hoover Highway and Dodge Street exits has led to the Iowa Department of Transportation planning changes to hopefully improve safety.
KCJJ is reports:
In a release Friday, the DOT announced plans to install signs telling trucks to use the left lane, which is 12 feet wide and has a paved shoulder. They will also install a rock shoulder to give drivers that drift off the road a better chance at recovery.
DOT officials said they believe drivers moving too quickly and not being aware of their surroundings are causing the frequent accidents.
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On Wednesday, a semi with a trailer full of herbicide and spilled 200 gallons of its contents into the nearby ditch, slowing traffic for hours as emergency workers worked to clean the wreckage and capture the leaked chemicals.
There were two other semi trailer accidents this week, including another accident on Wednesday and one early Friday morning, where a truck again slipped off the highway.
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