DES MOINES, Iowa — The Southeast Connector Project is one step closer to being completed after the city of Des Moines was awarded a $34 million Infrastructure For Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant.
The traffic project will contrast a multi-lane roadway connecting the Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway to the U.S. 65 bypass. The city hopes the construction will improve transportation but also meet the demands of projected travel increase in 2030.
"This INFRA grant award not only acknowledges the importance of the Southeast Connector Project for our city, but also signifies confidence in our vision for a more connected, safer, and economically vibrant Des Moines metro," Des Moines Mayor Connie Bosen said in a press release announcing the award.
The city says the project will improve road safety with a multi-use trail and improve flood protection.
The proposed plan would improve around 4,000 feet of the southeast Des Moines levee system. The Southeast Connector Project will be constructed north of the Des Moines River and west of Fourmile Creek.
Construction is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2025.