The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) discusses and compares alternatives for providing a Southeast Connector between SE 14th Street and U.S. 65 in the southeast quadrant of the city of Des Moines, Iowa. The city of Des Moines proposes the construction of a new arterial roadway that will traverse the southeast quadrant in order to meet the current and future needs of the traveling public and business community. The proposed roadway would create a new multi-lane, major arterial roadway connecting the Martin Luther King (MLK) Jr. Parkway terminus at SE 14th Street to the Vandalia Road / U.S. 65 Bypass Interchange. With these termini the SE Connector would provide a strong connection between two major transportation facilities in southeast Des Moines. The roadway, termed the Southeast Connector, will provide the city a safe, efficient, and direct route from downtown to the U.S. 65 Bypass on the southeast side of the metropolitan area. The Project Area has a northern boundary along the Union Pacific / Iowa Interstate railroad right of way, a southern boundary along the Des Moines River, an eastern boundary along the U.S. 65 Bypass, and a western boundary along SE 14th Street.

The city of Des Moines proposes the construction of a new arterial roadway that will traverse the southeast quadrant in order to meet the current and future needs of the traveling public and business community. The proposed roadway would create a new multi-lane, major arterial roadway connecting the Martin Luther King (MLK) Jr. Parkway terminus at SE 14th Street to the Vandalia Road / U.S. 65 Bypass interchange. With these termini the SE Connector would provide a strong connection between two major transportation facilities in southeast Des Moines. The roadway, termed the Southeast Connector, will provide the city a safe, efficient, and direct route from downtown to the U.S. 65 Bypass on the southeast side of the metropolitan area.

The Southwest Connector is part of the Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization's (MPO) 2030 Metropolitan Long-Range Transportation Plan. This 1.5-mile segment of roadway would be constructed within the City of West Des Moines to improve local transportation system connectivity and provide local access to potential future development in the study area. Eventually, an extension of the Southwest Connector project through the City of Des Moines is intended to reduce traffic demands on Interstate 235 (I-235), provide access to the future location of the Des Moines International Airport terminal, and improve access and egress to the Des Moines Central Business District (CBD).