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.