Completing statewide four-lane US 20 continues to be a top priority. Efficiencies for business and industry as well as the safety for all the traveling public are key elements of an overall transportation strategy for Iowa.

Incentives built into the March letting for paving of four-lane US 20 by the Iowa DOT mean the Iowa 4 (Rockwell City) to US 71 (Early) segments will likely open a full year ahead of original schedule at the end of 2012. Cedar Valley Corp who won the paving contract has built a concrete plant at the US 71/US 20 junction north of Early and is moving at great speed already.

As statewide four-lane US 20 nears completion in Iowa, signs of the economic development it's generating are evident across the corridor, particularly in western Iowa. The following developments illustrate the need and benefit of completing Iowa's second four-lane east-west corridor quickly. Just 32 miles remain to be included in the DOT Five Year Program!

North Central Ag Industrial Park

• World-class bio-economy park located west of Fort Dodge in Webster County
• Valero (current tenant)
  • Dry-milling 40 million bushels of corn annually for ethanol
  • Sells distillers' dried grain for livestock feed
• Cargill (current tenant)
  • Purchased Tate & Lyle facility
  • Wet-milling more than 50 million bushels of corn annually for ethanol
  • Plan to produce additional bio-based products on site
• CJ America (new tenant)
  • Parent company: CJ CheilJedang Corp of South Korea
  • Will build $323 million plant in Ag Park
  • Plan to employ 180 jobs all paying $20 or more an hour
  • Will manufacture amino acids for livestock feeds using Cargill plant by-products
• Estimates are for 420 to 570 semi loads per day of corn being delivered in the peak season


Sac County

• Boulders Inn and Suites and Glacier Bay Restaurant represent a $2.7 million development on Black Hawk Lake in Lake View.
• EVAPCO of Lake View announced their $2.5 million expansion with an estimated 40 additional jobs in the next five years.
• Hancock Concrete in Lake View recently finished a $2.25 million addition and has hired an additional seven people with a maintenance tech and additional drivers to come.
• Proliant of Lytton is currently advertising for an additional 12 positions.
• Lundell Plastics of Odebolt also just completed a $350,000 addition and hired one person.
• Casey's General Stores is building a new store in Early to be open in August 2012 near the US 20/US 71 interchange.
• Farmers Coop built a new facility south of Early with 705,000 bushels of grain storage, a 1600 square foot office, 6400 square foot seed warehouse, as well as two new 30,000 gallon anhydrous ammonia storage bullets with new load outs. The site also has a 14-foot by 80-foot scale. They maintain an additional 365,000 bushels of grain storage in Early at their original site. Plans include construction of a new crop protection chemical warehouse at the new site in the future.


Cherokee County

• Hy-Vee Distribution Center is adding 20 employees and more trucks in Cherokee
• Pioneer Hi-bred is adding 20 employees and more trucks north of Aurelia
• American Natural Soy is adding seven employees and more trucks in Cherokee
• Cherokee County is just completing an addition and upgrade to their industrial rail lead and transload facility. Their goal is to promote rail access at the facility and increase truck traffic.


Ida County

• Quad County Corn Processors received an Iowa Power Fund Grant and will be expanding their facility south of Galva later this year, adding new jobs and increasing truck traffic
• Maple River Energy, an idled biodiesel plant adjacent to Quad County Corn Processors, has been sold (pending final incentives) and it is anticipated additional jobs and traffic will be generated when it goes back online in a related industry