Commuters can now drive on elevated portion of Dubuque Street

IOWA CITY - Cars now are routed along a newly elevated portion of Dubuque Street in Iowa City, from the Mayflower Residence Hall to Park Road.

Since the switch this week, the crossover near Dubuque Street no longer will be used and all traffic runs on the southbound lanes. Work on utilities and to raise the northbound lanes were expected to begin after the switch, according to a media release from the city.

The work on Dubuque Street, called the Gateway Project, is a flood-mitigation effort that will raise the road 10 feet, or one foot about the 100-year flood level, and replace the Park Road bridge.

Construction is expected to be complete by August and the contract for the work was awarded for just over $40.5 million.

With this change, pedestrians and cyclists must now use the Iowa River Trail when traveling between Foster Road and Park Road. They can access the Mayflower via the crosswalk at the temporary traffic signal outside the hall.

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