Highway 18 Super Two Coalition gains support of county supervisors, Ventura Council

The Cerro Gordo County Board of Supervisors has approved a resolution in support of a “Highway 18 Super Two Coalition,” which is being formed to encourage the Iowa Department of Transportation to make improvements to US Highway18.

The vote of support is in step with similar action taken by governmental entities located west of Mason City.  The groups support improvements to Highway 18 such as paved shoulders, turning lanes, acceleration lanes, passing lanes, and improving line of sight issues.  Proponents of the plan envision improvements along Highway 18 traveling to O’Brien County, where Highway 18 could tie into Highway 71 at Spencer.  Highway 71 is a four-lane road leading to Okoboji.

The Ventura City Council passed a resolution in support of the coalition at its Monday, March 12, meeting.

Supervisors in Hancock and Kossuth Counties have also passed resolutions of support.

The Clear Lake City Council has not formally discussed the coalition but, according to City Administrator Scott Flory, the Council “certainly support improved transportation infrastructure and think it is a significant issue for North Iowa.  However, Clear Lake is most immediately concerned with the Iowa DOT’s current efforts to investigate the feasibility of improvements to US Highway 18 between North 20th Street and North 32nd Street. That has been something they have been working on for a couple years now.”

Representatives with the coalition are expected to meet with the Iowa Transportation Commission during an April 10 meeting in Orange City.