HomeMy WebLinkAboutProject overviewThe Iowa City Gateway
Project is led by Iowa
City in coordination with the U.S. Economic
Development
Administration, the
Iowa Department of
Transportation and the Federal Highway
Administration and in
cooperation with the
University of Iowa
More information about
Iowa City Gateway can be
found at:
iowacitygateway.org or by
phoning 319-356-5140.
February, 2011
Dubuque Street serves as Iowa City’s main entrance and key gateway into the
community for residents and visitors. It parallels the Iowa River, and carries more
than 25,000 vehicles a day between Interstate
80, the downtown business district and the
University of Iowa campus. Park Road Bridge
also serves as a critical transportation link for
Iowa City. Together, these corridors provide
vital connections for the community’s safety,
commerce, neighborhoods and recreation.
Due to its low elevation, the corridor also
has a history of flooding. In 1993, floodwaters
inundated Dubuque Street for 54 days. Flooding
covered the street again for a month in 2008;
that year Park Road Bridge was also over-topped
and closed. More frequently, locally heavy rains
flood and close northbound lanes of Dubuque
Street.
The Iowa City Gateway project is planned to: reduce closures of Dubuque
Street and Park Road Bridge due to localized flash floods and historic Iowa River
flood events; minimize backwater flood impacts created by the existing Park Road
Bridge; better serve transit, pedestrians and bicyclists; and preserve and enhance
the natural entry to Iowa City from I-80.
Planning and design of the project will be closely coordinated with University
of Iowa work to relocate Hancher Auditorium and the Mayflower Residence Hall
Flood Mitigation project, along with other Iowa City and Iowa DOT projects.
Phase 1 of the Iowa City Gateway Project
will be the completion of a federally required
planning process called for in the National
Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA. Through
that process, the team will evaluate how
various design alternatives impact the Iowa
River and its floodplain, as well as impacts to
nearby properties and community resources.
Phase 1 will include several opportunities for
community input and will to be completed
in mid 2012. Phase 1 will result in a
recommended approach for improvements.
Following federal approval of the NEPA
document, detailed design work will begin.
Phase 2 is expected to take approximately 18
to 20 months.
Construction is anticipated to begin
following the conclusion of Phase 2 and take
approximately two construction seasons.
Iowa City Gateway in Brief
Iowa City Gateway Study Area
2008 Flooding in Iowa City