116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
First flood protection project on its way to Cedar Rapids’ Northwest Neighborhood
City to begin ARPA-funded project to install Ellis Lane NW levee
CEDAR RAPIDS — A long-awaited, $8.04 million segment of flood protection is on its way to fortify Cedar Rapids’ Northwest Neighborhood against rising Cedar River waters using federal COVID-19 relief funds.
The city of Cedar Rapids will begin work this summer on its first flood control project in the Northwest Neighborhood as part of the city’s overall $750 million permanent flood control system. The project will install an earthen levee at Ellis Lane NW and eventually realign Ellis Boulevard NW so it goes up and over the levee.
The area continues to grapple with recovery after it was hit especially hard in the 2008 flood, with numerous lots remaining vacant after the demolition of properties that were damaged in the disaster. But the Cedar Rapids City Council has vowed to bring flood protection to both east and west sides of the river to shield the community from future destruction.
The council earlier this week signed off on plans ahead of the project being bid later this month. Construction is slated to start July 15 and wrap up by Dec. 31, 2025.
Federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars will be used to fund construction as part of the council’s commitment in 2021 of $10.2 million in ARPA funds toward flood protection for the Northwest Neighborhood.
Federal funding through the Army Corps of Engineers covers permanent flood protection only on the east side of the river because of its cost-benefit formula — on the west side, the cost of adding flood control was greater than the value of the buildings it would protect, according to the formula.
“This section is absolutely critical to protecting the entire west side,” council member Ann Poe said.
Levee to be installed
The overall project will install an earthen levee on Ellis Lane NW, then remove, realign and reconstruct Ellis Boulevard NW to go up and over the levee.
Ellis Lane NW, Eighth Street NW and Q Avenue NW (from Eighth Street to Ellis Boulevard NW) will be reconstructed, as well as a parking lot for Ellis Park and the city’s maintenance building there. There will be water main and sanitary sewer and storm sewer improvements to support the flood control system.
Crews will replace the existing fueling station in front of the city’s maintenance building at Ellis Park. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources requires the underground fuel tanks to be replaced because they are at the end of their useful life, Flood Control System Program Manager Rob Davis said. The city’s other fueling station is in front of the City Services Center.
Iowa Flood Mitigation funds were used for design expenditures. The City is leveraging local-option sales tax dollars that fund Paving for Progress for street reconstruction. Fleet Services funding will be used for the fuel system replacement.
In line with the city’s ReLeaf plan to reforest Cedar Rapids after the 2020 derecho destroyed most of its tree canopy, the city also will plant 48 trees in the project area.
Why a levee?
This design going up and over the levee eliminates the use of a floodgate. It is intended to create a more resilient and aesthetic crossing of the system with gentle slopes instead of a thick, 16-foot-high gate.
Eliminating use of a gate cuts maintenance time and costs, Davis said. It also reduces a potential leak location and the challenges potentially created by having a gate perpendicular to flow, meaning it would take a direct force.
Until the full permanent system is in place, this will help the city reduce the use of temporary flood barriers in flood events. The city can block off the area by placing barricades.
The future second phase of work will complete the realignment of Ellis Boulevard NW, shifting the road up and over the levee, and also build a flood wall to tie off that end of the flood control system, Davis said.
Linda Seger, who has held several positions on the board of the Northwest Neighbors Neighborhood Association and still lives in the area, recalled having water level with the second floor of her two-story house after the 2008 flood. The site of this project was the first location to fail in 2008, letting river water flood the neighborhood.
“All the time I felt positive that it was going to happen on the west side,” Seger said. “... There’s a future now for the west side.”
Access during construction
Access to Ellis Park will be maintained at all times during construction. Temporary parking lots will be set up to maintain the same number of parking spaces while work is underway.
Traffic is expected to be maintained along Ellis Boulevard NW at almost all times, with the exception of a few short duration closures and detours for private utility connections within the roadway.
Davis said construction was coordinated with Pierson’s Flower Shop, whose parking will be converted to angled spaces as a result of the project. The start date avoids Pierson’s busy season, which is this month.
Comments: (319) 398-8494; marissa.payne@thegazette.com
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