Cedar Rapids street work underway on over 40 projects for 2022

CEDAR RAPIDS — Over 40 Cedar Rapids street projects are planned for the 2022 Paving for Progress construction season, including more work on residential roads and the start of a key project that is expected to boost economic development prospects in flood-devastated parts of the northwest quadrant.

Voters in November overwhelmingly renewed the 1 percent local-option sales tax that funds Paving for Progress for another 10 years through June 30, 2034. The tax, generated by Cedar Rapids residents and visitors, was slated to expire in June 2024.

Since Paving for Progress began in 2014, the city reports it has invested about $147 million in repairs to more than 85 linear miles of roadway across 250 projects. Residential areas account for 73 percent of completed projects, while the remaining 27 percent of completed projects are arterial roads. Revenue from the tax provides about $20 million annually that directly fuels the maintenance, repair, construction and reconstruction of streets.

For this year, Paving for Progress Program Manager Doug Wilson said there’s a $26 million budget because of some rollover of state funds, so that’s why Cedar Rapids is able to work on so many streets this season.

Once fiscal 2023 starts July 1, that will mark the ninth season of the street repair program.

“We've got a lot of work going on and we're especially excited that the local sales tax was extended by the voters last November,” Wilson said. ”We're in the middle of planning out the next 10 years of the program right now, so very excited to see this continue.”

The “biggest project” kicking off this year will extend Sixth Street NW to Ellis Boulevard NW and connect Ellis to First Avenue, a project that has long been in the works to give a boost to the Northwest Neighborhood and Time Check with improved downtown connectivity. That will start with a two-year project putting roundabouts on E and F avenues, while Sixth Street work will continue into 2024, Wilson said.

Also starting this year is 15th Avenue SW from Fourth Street to C Street SW, which Wilson said is a combination of rehabilitation, reconstruction and pavement grinding. It will include some intersection reconstruction, disability ramp improvements, diamond grinding and storm sewer, water main and sanitary sewer improvements. One-way traffic will be maintained as much as possible throughout the project.

The city will reconstruct a segment of Center Point Road NE from Coe Road to Lincoln Avenue this year, which also includes sidewalk replacement. Half the road will be closed at a time, but local access will be maintained.

A major project continuing this year is a complete rehabilitation of Sixth Street SW from 33rd Avenue to Wilson Avenue. Wilson said crews did the east part last year, and are now working on a new sidewalk, new surface and some storm sewer improvements on that section of roadway.

There will be new traffic signals at 33rd Avenue and Wilson Avenue SW, a pedestrian signal at 29th Avenue SW and sidewalk on both sides of Sixth Street SW. There will be periodic full closures of side street intersections, and two-way traffic maintained on Sixth Street SW. Business access will remain open.

Another major continuing project is Oakland Road NE and Old Marion Road NE from Center Street to Regent Street. Wilson said crews completed the roadway up to Miami Court last year and will continue from there to Regent Street.

Construction has already started and will eventually complete rehabilitation and reconstruction of Oakland Road NE from E Avenue to Old Marion Road NE, and the entire length of Old Marion Road from Oakland Road to C Avenue NE. The project adds on-street bike lanes, sidewalk infill and disability sidewalk ramp improvements.

A project is entering its third and final year is O Avenue NW, as crews work from Edgewood Road to 27th Street NW. The total cost to rehabilitate all of O Avenue NW from Ellis Boulevard to Edgewood Road NW totals about $14 million, Wilson said. That’s “about two-thirds of a year of the budget to completely reconstruct that road, but it was well-needed,” he added.

Wilson said officials hope to see even more success in the next 10 years to get “more mileage out of the investment that we've made.” Already, the budget has ticked up from $18 million a year to $20 million as revenues have increased, he said.

Asked whether inflation is impacting the budget for this year’s projects, Wilson said the city has seen more supply chain issues with securing materials — particularly for equipment for traffic signals and water mains. That issue is mainly affecting projects starting this year, Wilson said, as the projects that are carrying over from last season were planned to be multiyear projects.

Other projects carrying over from 2021 include:

• 12th Avenue SE, from Seventh Street to 17th Street

• Chandler Street and 20th Street SW

• C Street SW

2022 Paving for Progress projects include:

• 30th Street Drive SE, Indian Creek to Carroll Drive

• Sixth Avenue SE, 17th Street to 18th Street

• 40th Street Drive SE, 200 feet west of Westover Road to city limits

• 40th Street Drive SE (asphalt portion)

• Cottage Grove Ave SE, Forest Drive to 34th Street

• Trail Ridge Road SE, northern Indiandale Road intersection to Red Fox Road

• East Post Road SE, Bever Ave to Indian Creek

• 40th Street SE, Soutter Avenue to Mount Vernon Road

• 11th Avenue SE at Fifth Street SE

• 18th Street SE, Fourth Avenue to Fifth Avenue

• 12th Street SE, Fifth Avenue to Sixth Avenue

• Sixth Avenue SE, 12th Street to 14th Street

• Forest Drive SE, Grande Avenue to Blake Boulevard

• Fifth Avenue SE, Forest Drive to Meadowbrook Drive

• 22nd Avenue SW, Wiley Boulevard to Westdale Drive

• 21st Avenue SW, Wiley Boulevard to Westdale Drive

• Westdale Drive SW, 21st Street Avenue to Wilson Avenue

• Primrose Lane SW, 26th Street to 29th Street

• 29th Street SW, Hickory Drive to Willow Street

• 29th Avenue SW, Edgewood to house number 3207

• Second Street SW, Fourth Avenue to Diagonal Drive

• Second Street SW, Diagonal Drive to 11th Avenue

• Fifteenth Avenue SW, Fourth Street to C Street

• C Street SW, Bowling Street to Wilson Avenue

• Sixth Street SW, 33rd Avenue to Wilson Avenue

• Chandler Street SW and 20th Street SW Loop

• Hidden Hollow Lane NW, Whitters Way to Greentree Court

• Greentree Court NW, Hidden Hollow Lane to the cul-de-sac

• Janice Drive NW, Johnson Avenue to Dennis Drive

• Josephine Lane NW, Johnson Avenue to Dennis Drive

• B Avenue NW, Highland Drive to 18th Street NW

• J Avenue NW, 11th Street to 13th Street

• O Avenue NW, 27th Street to Edgewood Rd

• Prairie Drive. NE, Eastern Avenue to G Avenue

• Glen Elm Drive, NE, Wenig Road NE to 42nd Street

• Glen Elm Terrace NE, Glen Elm Drive to Sally Drive

• Sally Drive, NE, Falcon Drive to 42nd Street

• 51st Street NE, Center Point Road to new concrete by McGrath Auto

• C Avenue NE, 24th Street to 27th Street

• E Avenue NE, 29th Street to 32nd Street

• Center Point Road NE, Coe Road to Lincoln Avenue

• Broderick Dr. NE, C Ave to Dead End

• Sanden Rd NE, East Milburn to Dead End

• Oakland Rd NE, Center Street to Regent Street

• First Avenue E, Collins Road to Tama Street

• Eighth Avenue SW, 15th Avenue to Rockford Road

• Twelfth Avenue SE, Seventh Street to 17th Street

Comments: (319) 398-8494; marissa.payne@thegazette.com