Linn County adopts 40 mph speed limit on Cherry Valley Road as data‑center traffic rises

Linn County supervisors voted Oct. 22 to establish a 40 mph speed limit on Cherry Valley Road between Wright Brothers Boulevard and 76th Avenue Southwest following a county speed study and discussion of growing traffic linked to nearby data centers.

Garrett Reddish, assistant engineer, told the board he and staff conducted multiple field visits and spoke with residents before recommending the 40 mph limit. “It went from a rock road to now a paved road,” Reddish said. “Although the traffic count is not at the peak yet, it will go from a rock road with 50 cars a day to several thousand cars. So…we did a speed study…and we are going to establish a speed limit of 40 miles an hour.”

Supervisors said safety for residents guided their decision. One supervisor noted ongoing coordination with the sheriff’s office and warned that traffic patterns will continue to change as companies such as QTS and other developers finalize projects in the area. Reddish told the board the county is coordinating with the city of Cedar Rapids and Fairfax on adjoining roads and noted that 76th Avenue has already been lowered to 35 mph.

The board approved the resolution by voice vote. County staff emphasized the decision is not final in perpetuity: Reddish said the county will continue monitoring traffic and conduct additional speed studies and that the limit may be adjusted if conditions change.

The action follows resident concerns about safety and infrastructure as development and heavy vehicle trips increase on recently paved rural roads. The board did not provide a roll‑call vote tally in the meeting record; the motion was approved by voice vote.