Missouri River flooding in Iowa and Missouri affecting I-29

Bumping this back up with the latest information -

I-29 has been reopened in the Omaha/Council Bluffs area. It's still closed from US-34 near Plattsmouth NE to US-136 at Rockport MO. Recommended detour is US-136, US-59, and US-34. Expect congestion and delays.

I-680 is still closed in IA from I-29 to the river bridge, and this is a long-term closure. The road is almost totally gone.

There are no bridges open across the river between US-34 near Plattsmouth and US-36 at St. Joe. Major bridge closures through this area are US-159, US-136, IA-2, and IA-175.

Can anyone tell me the best and fastest way to get from Omaha, NE to St Louis, Mo? I see that there are plenty of road closures that are going to affect my route. I am wondering if there is a better way than going through Kansas City? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!!

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Iowa is currently reporting at two separate closures of portions of I-29 due to flooding in southwestern Iowa. Missouri is reporting a similar closure in northwestern part of that state. I could easily see the detours associated with these closures costing you an hour or more. One alternative would be to take I-80 east across central Iowa to just past Des Moines and then IA-163 to Oskaloosa and US-63 south. At Ottumwa, you'd pick up US-34 east to US-218/US-61 south into St. Louis. Such a detour would also cost you about an hour or so (as well as about 50 extra miles), but I've driven portions of it and it would be a relaxing alternative to dealing with detours and flooding and, particularly in the east along the Mississippi, it can be quite scenic.

AZBuck

The fastest way is still going through (around) KC.

Take I-29 south to US-34, go east to US-59, go south to US-136, go west back to I-29. Take I-435 around the NE side of KC to I-70 to STL.

How about the fastest route between Sioux Falls and Omaha? I'm hoping I don't have to go all the way over to I-35 like earlier this summer. Are there still areas where I-29 is completely closed?

I-29 is open all the way to Omaha from the north, it's I-680 that's closed, you will have to cross the river on I-480 or I-80. The only I-29 closure now is from US-34 to US-136.

I-29 is now completely reopened, but there are some areas with single lanes due to construction. IA-175, I-680, IA-2, US-136, and US-159 are still closed.

The Iowa DOT still shows IA-2 from I-29 to the Missouri River Bridge, a segment of only a couple of miles, if that, to be closed. They update in the early morning daily so it appears to be valid intel. Furthermore, they show a detour for IA-2 to reach Nebraska City involving running further up I-29 to US 34, crossing the Mo River at Plattsmouth, NE. From there, it appears NE 66 runs due west on the south side of the Platte River to the northeast side of Lincoln, where one could pick up I-80 and still enjoy something of a shortcut around Omaha.

Foy

That doesn't really look like a viable shortcut to me - till they get IA-2 open, the best bet is to take I-29 all the way to I-80.

As best I can glean from the Iowa and Missouri DOT websites, I-29 is open all the way through Missouri and Iowa at this time. There are reportedly lane closures as the damages from the summer's flooding are repaired, and those lane closures are expected to remain in place for at least another two weeks, until November 14.

The main shortcut between I-29 in southwest Iowa and I-80 at Lincoln, Nebraska, that being IA-2 between I-29 and the Missouri River bridge, where it becomes NE-2 on to Lincoln, is also open, albeit with a single lane in each direction. It's only 2-3 miles from I-29 to the river, and NE-2 on the Nebraska side was not affected to the best of my knowledge, so I'm guessing we're back to I-29/IA + NE 2/I-80 being the preferred route for those traversing the Midwest and Great Plains in a southeast to northwest fashion.

Foy

It looks like the only bridges that are still completely closed are IA-175, I-680, and US-159.

IA-175 and I-680 are now open, and they are expecting to reopen US-159 any day now.