Sioux County, Iowa — Many northwest Iowans are scratching their heads when they see the plan for this spring’s detour of Highway 75 around Sioux Center — since it goes through Sheldon.
The City of Sioux Center has released a detour route that is supposed to go into effect on April 3. If you have no reason to stop in Sioux Center and you’re heading south from Highway 18 at Perkins Corner, the detour has you instead turn left and go 18 miles to Highway 60 at Sheldon, then take Highway 60 to Highway 10 at Alton and take Highway 10 for nine miles back to Highway 75 at the Million Dollar Corner. Obviously, if your destination is Le Mars or points south, it would make more sense to stay on 60. But otherwise the detour adds over 25 miles to your trip. Obviously, going north from Highway 10 at the Million Dollar Corner would just reverse the route.
We spoke with DOT transportation planner Dakin Shultz, who referred us to DOT District Engineer Jessica Felix. She told us that the City of Sioux Center is in charge of the project. So we spoke with former Sheldon City Manager and current Sioux Center City Manager Scott Wynja.
Wynja says they realize that many people probably won’t follow the signed detour, due either to being familiar with other roads in the area or what their GPS thinks is the best route.
He says if your destination is Sioux Center, it’s a different story, as local traffic — that is, traffic within the part of the road that is detoured — including the entire city of Sioux Center — is fine to use the regular Highway 75 until they are re-routed in Sioux Center.
He tells us what construction is planned.
Remaining on the project’s Phase One is the paving of the northbound lanes in the Walmart area. For Phase Two, the construction area begins at 13th Street South, moving north. The goal is to complete the reconstruction of the Highway up to 2nd Street South by the end of this year.
