A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect until midnight for much of eastern Nebraska, including Omaha. A tornado watch has been issued for Cass, Gage, Jefferson, Johnson, Lancaster, Nemaha, Otoe, Pawnee, Richardson, Saline and Seward counties until 10 p.m. Sunday.
The Iowa Transportation Commission wants to spend $2.1 billion on a five-year road construction program that calls for maintaining and rebuilding selected highways across the state.
The draft released Tuesday includes $120 million to widen Interstate 35 from four lanes to six lanes in West Des Moines.
Other projects include completing a four-lane bypass around Fort Madison on U.S. Highway 61; finishing the U.S. Highway 30 bypass around Tama-Toledo; and continuing to widen U.S. Highway 20 in western Iowa.
The transportation commission has proposed average statewide spending of about $232 million a year between 2010 and 2014. The commission will consider approving the highway program in June.
