Since 2011, there has been 3 fatal accidents on the Army Post Rd Corridor. There has also been steady traffic growth and congestion at Army Post Rd and SE 36^th St.

The City commissioned a traffic study to investigate and address safety and traffic operations along Army Post Road near SE 36th Street. The study was completed in early 2020.

The City held a public meeting via Zoom on July 14, 2020 to present results of the study, review recommendations for short-term and long-term improvements at the intersection, and answer questions.  A presentation was given and the meeting was recorded.

The study identified that there is excessive delay and queuing for southbound vehicles on 36^th Street at Army Post Road. The study intersection was shown to be under the statewide average crash rate for similar intersections. The fatal crashes were also determined to not be related to the intersection of 36^th Street. The study did indicate that vehicle speeds on Army Post Rd and on SE 36^th St north of Army Post Rd exceeded the posted speed limit. To address traffic growth and speed concerns, the study looked at short-term recommendations and two long-term alternatives.

The following short-term improvements recommended:

• Advanced Intersection Signing (completed in April 2020)
• Improved Intersection Lighting (in process)
• Edgeline and Centerline Rumble Strips on Army Post Road (anticipated by end of 2020)

For the long-term alternatives a traffic signal with turn lanes and a roundabout were analyzed. A roundabout was selected as the recommended long-term improvement because it will slow all entering vehicles, result in fewer head-on and angle crashes, and reduce crash severity. A roundabout also is expected to result in less delay and queuing for drivers.

More detail on the results of the study can be found in the meeting recording above or in the final report.

Additional information on roundabouts:

• Iowa DOT Roundabout Information (https://iowadot.gov/traffic/roundabouts/)
• Federal Highway Administration (https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/intersection/innovative/roundabouts/)

Short-Term Improvements are ongoing. There is currently no funding allocated to these improvements in the Capitol Improvement Program (CIP). The next step in the process is to determine the availability and timing of future funding for these improvements in the City’s budget.

Corey Bogenreif, PE
City of Des Moines Traffic and Transportation Division
ENG-TT-Web@dmgov.org