Iowa City's Dubuque Street 'gateway' project moving ahead

Residents living in Iowa City now have a chance to see what future changes to Dubuque Street might entail.

Last week the city released a series of alternative draft plans of the project to the public. The drafts are available by clicking here.

In 2014 the city plans to begin construction on the street, raising it by as much as 12 feet in some areas. The goal is to help mitigate future flooding in the immediate area while keeping the street open in the event of a future flood. In 1993 floodwaters shut down Dubuque Street for nearly two months; during the 2008 flood the roadway was closed for one month.

“25,500 cars a day use it,” said Melissa Clow, Special Projects Administrator with the Iowa City Engineering Department. “If you come up Dubuque Street in the morning, it's backed up.”

Clow said the city will likely develop a plan, which combines ideas from all three of the draft alternatives released last week.

“We wanted to give (the public) this intermediate step,” she said. “Show them where we're at, give them an idea of which direction we're heading in.”

The city is trying to be very open and accessible to the public during this early planning process, Clow said. On December 8, they will host a “drop-in center” for residents interested in discussing the drafts with members of a study team working on the project. More information on the session can be found by clicking here.

Construction to raise the street will likely take two construction seasons to complete. An estimated $32 million will be spent on the entire project.