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Point 13: design Standards discussion
This section includes a discussion of
design standards relating to any proposed
modification of the Iowa Valley Scenic Byway,
including an evaluation of how the proposed
changes may affect the intrinsic qualities of the
Byway corridor�
Roadway design standards for the State of
Iowa are available from the Iowa Department
of Transporation, Office of Design (http://www. TIPs involving the Byway. The Central Iowa
iowadot.gov/design/dmanual/manual.html).
The Design Manual summarizes Federal and
State laws and regulations. These regularly
updated standards are intended for interstate
and primary (state and U.S. highway) roads.
For transportation infrastructure at the city
and county level, the Iowa Statewide Urban
Design and Specifications (SUDAS) design
manual (http://www.iowasudas.org/design.cfm)
is a comprehensive reference to road design,
particularly Chapter 5. The IDOT Office of
Local Systems provides links to a number of
documents relating to road design standards,
including bridges and culverts (http://www.
iowadot.gov/local_systems/publications/proj_
dev_info.html).
The Iowa DOT is responsible for developing a
State Transportation Plan (STIP) that identifies
a multi-year plan that prioritizes proposed
highway improvements. STIPs are for five-
year periods. The current STIP spans 2011–
2014. Regional Planning Affiliations (RPAs)
submit Transportation Improvement Plans
(TIPs) for their respective regions for inclusion
in the STIP. Two RPAs are responsible for
RPA includes Tama and Poweshiek counties.
Iowa County is under the Region 10 RPA.
Roadway modifications that pose the greatest
threat to the primary cultural and historical
intrinsic qualities of the Iowa Valley Scenic
Byway are those that require new right-of-
way acquisition. For modifications made
with federal funding assistance, the National
Historic Preservation Act mandates pre-
construction surveys of archaeological and
historic architectural sites within the proposed
rights-of-way. These surveys, reviewed for
compliance by the State Historic Preservation
Office, provide considerable protection for
historic properties in areas along roads in the
Byway corridor�