MacVicar Speedway
September 30, 2007 by Sandy Renshaw
Filed under Des Moines Dictionary, General, Guest Writer: Friedrich, Brenda, History, Iowa
The 14-mile section of interstate running through the city is typically called “Interstate Highway 235” (as designated by the DOT) or “MacVicar Freeway (as dubbed by the 1960 Des Moines City Council). But the roadway received its nickname, the “MacVicar speedway,” because of the day-to-day antics of those who travel it. Drivers like area blogger Chris Moeller.
I don’t mean to pick on Moeller who considers MacVicar an “open-track.” It’s just that he’s just quite candid about reaching 85 mph on the roadway in his Grand Prix. At least he did in the past. Construction work may have slowed him down in recent years.
MacVicar wasn’t always seen as a race track, although it seems to have come with rules all its own. Back in 1965, Des Moines Register reporter Donald Kaul described a local man’s I-235 experience in these words: “He found the
freeway’s unhurried atmosphere and the general refusal there to bow slavishly to arbitrary driving rules quite charming, almost European in character.”
But why the name “Mac Vicar?”
The roadway was named after a father and son, both John MacVicars, who held political offices within the city for a span of over 50 years. Each served terms as mayor and streets commissioner.
Currently being rebuilt, the speedway has typically seen approximately 850 collisions annually in recent years. In fact, safety is cited as the number one reason for its reconstruction. Other factors include area changes since its
design. According to its website (yes, I-235 has its own site!) the freeway was designed in the 1950s and constructed in the 1960s. BOMA Iowa puts its completion date at 1968 and credits the route with opening up growth to the western suburbs.
As construction nears completion will MacVicar drivers pick up the pace once again? For your birdseye-view of traffic along I-235, visit DM Metro Trip Guide, choose a camera from along the route, and decide for yourself!
Guest Writer: Brenda Friedrich is an Iowa-based writer and business communications consultant. You can also find her blogging at Enroute365.
Sandy Renshaw is Sandy Renshaw is a self-employed communications consultant. You will also find her blogging at Purple Wren.
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[...] Freidrich on Around Des Moines gives a little background on the MacVicar Speedway… er, freeway… have YOU noticed, as I have, that you can drive 55-60 on this thing and [...]