DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | Highway 61 correspondence and documents, 1968-1974 | 1974-12-20 H.E. Gunnerson to Mr. James Frazier Page 14

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Highway 61 correspondence and documents, 1968-1974

1974-12-20 H.E. Gunnerson to Mr. James Frazier Page 14

-4-

The rough terrain and steep slope of this area north of Forth Madison would make the construction of alternate 3 extremely difficult. Alternate 3 could be called a northern bypass. As it was pointed out in the City's Response to the Complaint of Discrimination, a bypass would not improve service to the central business district, the west end shopping center nor the major industrial areas.

Alternate 3 would present a drainage problem due to the varying elevations. Secondly wildlife would be disturbed and displaced due to timber loss from construction. The people in fort Madison would have a difficult time using a northern bypass and the north-south spurs during the winter months because of the steep slopes. The percent of grade on the Highway 103 (18th Street) slope is six percent. The percent of grade on the Highway 88 (15th Street) slope is eleven percent. There have been three runaway trucks and numerous incidents of trucks jackkniving on Highways 103 and 88 over the past two years. These occurrences have taken place even though truck traffic on these two slopes has been light.

The two obvious advantages to alternate 3 are (1) fewer families would be displaced and (2) some traffic would be diverted around the City. The real problem is the traffic is projected to be light on alternate 3 which questions its need at this time. Such a bypass would not serve the commercial or industrial areas of the City. Alternate 3 simply would not adequately relieve the traffic problems on the existing route of U.S. 61.

DOT PROPOSAL NUMBER 4

This DOT proposal reads, "Relocate the railroad tracks south and construct alternate 4A on the existing railroad alignment. This would be designed in the appropriate locations to eliminate isolation of homes between the tracks and alternate 4A."

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-4- The rough terrain and steep slope of this area north of Forth Madison would make the construction of alternate 3 extremely difficult. Alternate 3 could be called a northern bypass. As it was pointed out in the City's Response to the Complaint of Discrimination, a bypass would not improve service to the central business district, the west end shopping center nor the major industrial areas. Alternate 3 would present a drainage problem due to the varying elevations. Secondly wildlife would be disturbed and displaced due to timber loss from construction. The people in fort Madison would have a difficult time using a northern bypass and the north-south spurs during the winter months because of the steep slopes. The percent of grade on the Highway 103 (18th Street) slope is six percent. The percent of grade on the Highway 88 (15th Street) slope is eleven percent. There have been three runaway trucks and numerous incidents of trucks jackkniving on Highways 103 and 88 over the past two years. These occurrences have taken place even though truck traffic on these two slopes has been light. The two obvious advantages to alternate 3 are (1) fewer families would be displaced and (2) some traffic would be diverted around the City. The real problem is the traffic is projected to be light on alternate 3 which questions its need at this time. Such a bypass would not serve the commercial or industrial areas of the City. Alternate 3 simply would not adequately relieve the traffic problems on the existing route of U.S. 61. DOT PROPOSAL NUMBER 4 This DOT proposal reads, "Relocate the railroad tracks south and construct alternate 4A on the existing railroad alignment. This would be designed in the appropriate locations to eliminate isolation of homes between the tracks and alternate 4A."