With several new companies soon to operate facilities within the City of Perry, a new safety feature will soon be installed at the intersection of Highway 141 and Willis Avenue.

City Administrator Sven Peterson tells Raccoon Valley Radio the construction of three companies of JBS Prepared Foods Incorporated, A.D.R. Axles USA Incorporated and M&R Properties Iowa LLC, which will be occupying space in the Industrial Park near Soumas Avenue, which turns into Willis Avenue going north, along Highway 141. He acknowledges that a study has been conducted between the city and the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) to address the existing issues within that area.

Peterson explains the study analyzed access management from the Raccoon River Valley Trail Bridge on the west side of Perry and the Highway 169 intersection. He shares that the city and the DOT were looking at existing intersections and establishing standards to potentially allow new intersections to accommodate for traffic, especially when the three new facilities are built. Peterson provides a plan of how the city and DOT want to tackle the intersection.

“Looking at establishing turn lanes in all directions, as well as traffic signals at that intersection to really help manage the traffic flow. Really taking into consideration school traffic coming into town during the morning and afternoon (and) the shifts that all of our companies out there are running.”

Peterson states that the total project costs approximately $8 million, and the city is applying for $5.2 million from Revitalize Iowa’s Sound Economy (RISE) Grant, then the remaining balance will derive from the tax increment financing that the city can utilize from the investment in the three facilities to offset the cost of the improvements. He adds that the intersection improvements will start in 2026 around the time JBS, A.D.R., and M&R Properties are nearing completion.