The Iowa Transportation Commission (Commission) and Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) develop Iowa’s Five Year Transportation Improvement Program (Five-Year Program) to inform Iowans of planned investments in our state’s multi-modal transportation system. The Five-Year Program is typically updated and approved each year in June.
The Five-Year Program encompasses investments in aviation, transit, railroads, trails, and highways. Our brochure, Investing In Iowa's Future, describes the programming process used by the Commission and Iowa DOT to develop the highway section of the Five-Year Program.
Each day Iowans are affected by some facet of highway transportation, whether it is to get to work or a medical appointment, receive mail, allow groceries and other goods to be stocked on local shelves, or the many other ways highways keep people, goods and services moving in our state.
Iowa’s interstate and primary highways managed by the Iowa DOT are an important part of our personal mobility and state’s economy. They also provide essential connections to Iowa’s secondary roads and city streets.
The process of making the critical decisions about what investments will be made to preserve and expand the state-managed highway network is complex. It involves input from a wide range of individuals and organizations, and is based on an expansive programming process. The major steps in that process include:
- Identifying projects.
- Establishing programming objectives.
- Evaluating potential projects.
- Developing the final program.