Plans to raise Dubuque Street in Iowa City on course

IOWA CITY- Director of Public Works, Rick Fosse, has a vision for Dubuque Street that he said will likely become a reality in a few years. Fosse confirmed Monday that surveyors seen along the roadway are working on the plan to raise the Dubuque Street by as much as 10 feet.

"It's going to be a phased construction project," he said. "We are just going to have to work on half of it at a time."

Fosse said the city is beginning the first of the project three phases. The surveyors are working on the Environmental Assessment, which wont be completed until midway through 2012.

"The design phase will be completed by the end of 2013, and then in 2014 and 2015 we'll start construction," said Fosse.

Also as part of the project the city will reconstruct the Park Road bridge.

"Replacing that bridge with something that's longer and higher can reduce backwater significantly," Fosse said.

Fosse hopes that members of the community will come and share their input at a series of "open-house" style meetings. The first meeting is scheduled from 4:30-7 on March 3rd at Parkview Church. The City has also launched a website as a way to communicate information about the project to the community at www.iowacitygateway.org.