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Marion’s Alburnett Road extension project in planning stages
Project aims to decrease residential traffic congestion and better connect northern residents to downtown
Isabelle Foland
Jun. 4, 2024 5:30 am
MARION ― By this time next year, work on a project to connect Marion’s Alburnett Road to Marion Boulevard could be underway after more than two decades of planning.
This project, which has been in the works since 2000 in the form of various feasibility studies, would extend Alburnett Road at the west side of town, south to the business district area of Marion Boulevard to decrease residential traffic congestion and encourage continued growth and economic development.
The extended road would start at the section of Alburnett Road at Bowstring Drive, south of Boyson Road, go across Indian Creek and through Willow Park to connect to Second Street and, thus, Marion Boulevard.
The project could begin as early as next April depending on how quickly the bidding and property acquisition process goes, said Mike Barkalow, the city’s engineer.
While planning still is in very early stages, Barkalow said this project likely will create three new signalized intersections, including:
- Eighth Avenue and Second Street
- Seventh Avenue and the new Alburnett Road
- Boyson Road and Alburnett Road
Construction on major intersections will be done in phases to allow east-west traffic to go through the area, Barkalow said.
A bridge also will be built over Indian Creek, which will likely be the first step of the construction process, Barkalow said. Second Street will need to be reconstructed in order to make it the appropriate width for the extended road, he said.
Barkalow estimates that the project will take around two years to be completed.
In a 2017 project study report, the estimated cost for the Alburnett Road project was more than $9.4 million. Because the project is in its preliminary stages, there is no current project cost available, Barkalow said. However, he said “nothing gets cheaper over time” and inflation will likely make the project more costly than the 2017 figure.
While a final project price tag is not yet known, Marion has taken steps to procure funding. Last year, the city was awarded a $7 million federal grant through the Community Project Funding program.
Extension will help keep up with growth
One reason the Alburnett Road extension project was identified as a need in Marion was to reduce the amount of traffic in residential areas near the proposed project site, Barkalow said.
Currently, drivers cut through residential neighborhoods when traveling south on Alburnett Road to create a shortcut to downtown, Barkalow said. The road most impacted by this traffic congestion is 10th Street between Seventh Avenue and Boyson Road, according to Snyder & Associates, the contractor that did the feasibility study for the project.
As the city has grown, so has this traffic problem.
“There’s not a good north-south connector in that area,” Barkalow said.
The road extension also would create an easier and quicker path for emergency vehicles, according to Snyder & Associates.
Marion’s downtown area has grown rapidly in recent years, which makes a connection from northern residential areas to the business district even more desirable, Barkalow said.
Marion is the 13th largest city in Iowa and one of the fastest growing cities in the state. In the last eight years, Marion has seen its property valuation increase by around $2 billion because of new residential, industrial and commercial developments.
Marion businesses — in addition to residents — would see benefits from this project.
Mark Seckman, president of the Marion Economic Development Corp., said this project will reduce travel time and create a safer way for people to get to downtown from the northern areas of Marion.
Safer and faster drive times can help businesses in the area attract and retain employees, Seckman said.
A better route to downtown Marion also means more people from out of town, including residents of Cedar Rapids, could be drawn to the amenities and attractions in central Marion, Seckman said.
“It’s another arrow in our quiver about what’s happening in Marion that’s making it so attractive,” Seckman said.
Comments: (319)-265-6849; isabelle.foland@thegazette.com