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Des Moines Southwest Connector

DaddyMac

DaddyMac

Well-Known Member
Oct 18, 2006
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Does anyone know about this? I've long thought it to be almost an urban legend. But noticed a few weeks back that they've broke ground around 63rd and McKinley.

West Des Moines : City News : Southwest Connector Information

I just don't get it. This has to be one of the more stupid public projects I've seen in a while. The whole intent is to put an arterial from 63rd to the highway 5 bypass (as per the spec in the link above).

Keep driving another 2 miles south on 63rd and you'll reach hwy 5.

What's the purpose of this? Who does it serve? IMO all it's going to do is waste millions and decrease property values in the area at the same time.

So now people from Winterset, Cumming, etc can get to 63rd about 3 minutes faster (maybe) and still only have the crap options to get downtown? (Grand, Park to Fleur or George Flagg when they aren't under water)
 
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I was never a big fan of that plan. In Omaha they have closed segments of diagonal connections because they foul up traffic on the grid routes and make signalization tougher and create nasty intersections.
 
They plan on connecting it all the way down to Cummings I heard at one time. They want to expand the city that way and get rid of the wetland areas and farm ground. I think it will be a terrible idea to expand that way in the grand scheme of things. Heck why not just keep expanding out to the west??? I'm sure West Des Moines could gladly swallow up De Soto without anyone noticing.
 
I remember seeing a map once. I made this map off of memory.

40464659.jpg
 
Wow, what a waste of money. Just keep driving down 63rd, it is not like it is not 4 line 55 mph once you get to park.
 
The road has more to do with future development around the road than it does convenience. There are high dollar homes on the southern end of that road and some prime commercial real estate between there and downtown.
 
cybsball20 said:
The road has more to do with future development around the road than it does convenience. There are high dollar homes on the southern end of that road and some prime commercial real estate between there and downtown.
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And I imagine many of those homeowners aren't too happy about this road. I know my in-laws weren't happy when they put in 5 and expanded 28 - but I think everyone understands the need to grow.

I'd really like to see the proposal to get this extender downtown. That I would agree IS needed. Right now you can only get across the Raccoon River at 63rd or Fleur from the SW. That is too isolated, especially when you consider that Fleur floods when 3 people simulataneously flush.

But I'm not sure about this part. Again, who is this serving? The 1000 residents of Cumming (eventually) who are 500 yards from I35? The 150 of Aurilla?
 
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There was a pretty big write-up on this in the Des Moines Register a month or so ago. Quite a few unhappy people in the area over the extention. As I recall, the completion of this thing is still a decade or so away.
 
DaddyMac said:
And I imagine many of those homeowners aren't too happy about this road. I know my in-laws weren't happy when they put in 5 and expanded 28 - but I think everyone understands the need to grow.

I'd really like to see the proposal to get this extender downtown. That I would agree IS needed. Right now you can only get across the Raccoon River at 63rd or Fleur from the SW. That is too isolated, especially when you consider that Fleur floods when 3 people simulataneously flush.

But I'm not sure about this part. Again, who is this serving? The 1000 residents of Cumming (eventually) who are 500 yards from I35? The 150 of Aurilla?
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It's not serving anyone now, however D.M. did annex a lot of that area between it and Norwalk I believe and will redirect some traffic off of 235 I'd guess.
 
I thought I had read somewhere also that they want to make a West Des Moines four-lane bypass from where the Highway 5 bypass meets with I-35 up to 80 west
 
CyBroncos said:
I thought I had read somewhere also that they want to make a West Des Moines four-lane bypass from where the Highway 5 bypass meets with I-35 up to 80 west
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I heard that too. The idea being that highway 5 continues on out towards Booneville - probably to Jordan Creek Pkway. They have the south end of JC Pkwy built almost down to Grand.

Again, that's what? About 2 miles off I35?
 
DaddyMac said:
I heard that too. The idea being that highway 5 continues on out towards Booneville - probably to Jordan Creek Pkway. They have the south end of JC Pkwy built almost down to Grand.

Again, that's what? About 2 miles off I35?
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Yeah I think the plan is connect it with 80 where they have that nice new bridge just sitting out there. I don't really see the need for a WDM bypass, like you said you can get to the Jordan Creek mall area from 80 or 35 in 5-10 minutes. They must be thinking growth-wise really long term like 20-25 years.
 
What they need to do is connect MLK to 80/35. There isn't an easy way for me to get from Johnston to downtown.
 
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