A major change could be coming to one of Ida County’s busiest stretches of Highway 20.
The Iowa Department of Transportation is studying a redesign of both U.S. Highway 20 and U.S. Highway 59 intersections south of Holstein — the north junction that leads toward Cherokee, and the south junction that leads toward Ida Grove, near the TA Express. The DOT says both intersections have seen serious crashes since Highway 20 was expanded to four lanes, and long‑term safety improvements are needed.
Right now, drivers turning from Highway 59 must cross multiple lanes of high‑speed traffic. The DOT has already lowered the speed limit, added flashing lights and reduced the intersection to one lane in each direction, but officials say those changes are temporary.
The DOT is weighing two options: a roundabout or a reduced conflict intersection, also known as a J‑curve. Ida County Board of Supervisors Chair Devlun Whiteing says the DOT has been in close contact with the county and the City of Holstein as planning moves forward.
A reduced conflict intersection changes how drivers on Highway 59 enter Highway 20. Instead of crossing all four lanes, drivers would turn right, travel a short distance, make a U‑turn at a designated median opening, and then continue in the direction they need to go. The DOT says the design cuts potential crash points nearly in half and can reduce fatal and serious injury crashes by more than 60 percent.
Whiteing says the concept works well on Highway 20 and Poplar Avenue — near the Marker 126 Travel Center and Holliday Creek valley — just east of Fort Dodge, but he’s not convinced the traffic volume near Holstein is comparable.
He says residents have raised concerns about truck traffic, U‑turns, and whether the design can handle the heavy flow of vehicles entering and exiting the TA Express and Flying J near Holstein.
The DOT held a two‑hour open house last week, complete with a life‑size tabletop model showing how semis and farm equipment would navigate the intersection. Whiteing says supervisor Carson Schubert attended the meeting and indicated that many people left feeling more comfortable with the proposal.
Ultimately, the decision belongs to the DOT, but public input is being collected through July 20. Construction is expected to begin in spring 2028 and wrap up by the end of that year.
Whiteing says whatever the final design is, the goal is simple: make both intersections safer.
He says the county hopes the DOT weighs all the feedback and chooses the safest option for drivers, truckers and emergency responders.
