Iowa 7 roadwork plans near Storm Lake, open house set for Alta May 12

Drivers between Storm Lake and Alta could see one of Buena Vista County’s busiest rural corridors rebuilt from west of 70th Avenue to east of 80th Avenue, with work now planned to begin in fall 2027 and run through the end of 2028.

The Iowa Department of Transportation is proposing reconstruction of the Iowa 7 and 70th Avenue/Villa Road intersection, the stretch of Iowa 7 between 70th and 80th avenues, and the Iowa 7 and 80th Avenue intersection. For people who use that route to reach farms, school activities, businesses and the south side of Storm Lake, the biggest day-to-day change will come during construction, when traffic would be detoured onto 50th Avenue, 610th Street, 85th Avenue and 90th Avenue.

The agency has also warned that parts of 70th Avenue/Villa Road, 80th Avenue and St. Andrews Drive would close at different times as the work moves through the corridor. That means access will likely shift several times before the project is complete, with some trips taking longer and some farm equipment or local deliveries forced onto roads that do not normally carry that much traffic.

A public open house is set for Tuesday, May 12, 2026, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Alta Community Center, 28 Lake Street, Alta, Iowa 51002. There will be no formal presentation. Instead, people can stop in, look over the plans and handouts, and speak directly with project staff before comments are due May 26.

The meeting comes after months of debate over how the Highway 7 corridor should be reshaped. Buena Vista County approved an addendum Jan. 20, 2026, shifting responsibility for the Highway 7 and 70th Avenue intersection tied to Phase 3 of the Platinum Crush project to Iowa DOT District 3. County Engineer Bret Wilkinson said that move did not cut funding, but it did remove uncertainty over who would control the project.

Earlier discussions also showed local concern over the geometry of the 70th Avenue crossing. The DOT had pushed for a 90-degree redesign, while county officials sought a compromise closer to 75 degrees. Those talks also involved Canadian National Railroad, and landowners were expected to be contacted individually with detailed drawings as the design advanced.

Drainage near Villa Road and the Buena Vista University Golf Course at Lake Creek has also drawn attention, along with the broader question of how the rebuilt corridor will handle traffic while protecting access to nearby property. The May 12 open house is the public’s best chance to still shape those details before the project moves toward bidding in 2027.