Coralville’s Fifth Street to reopen soon

CORALVILLE - It took longer than many anticipated, renovations on Fifth Street in Coralville are nearing completion, and the arterial could reopen by early December.

Ellen Habel, Coralville's assistant city administrator, said issues with utility relocation and a few other unforeseen delays pushed back the completion date, which was originally been in August.

'I know people are eager to get that street back,” she said.

The length of Fifth Street, between First and Tenth avenues, closed this spring to allow for street improvements and flood protection work.

Most of the street has reopened except for the length between Fourth and Sixth avenues.

Habel said the tentative plan is to reopen the entire road by Dec. 5.

The entire project, which includes new lighting, widening and elevating the Fifth Street bridge over Biscuit Creek, was bid at $3.2 million.

Mayor John Lundell said the overall scope of the project, which aims to revitalize the street, added to the delays.

'There's nobody in the city that isn't super anxious to get this project wrapped up,” he said. 'It's unfortunate it would have taken us this long, none of us would have imagined we'd still be working on it during Thanksgiving.

'Any situation like this is an opportunity to learn. I'm sure the engineering staff will take a look at what went wrong and how we can fix it for the next project we do like this.”

The length of Fifth Street, which was once Highway 6, has received considerable attention from the city council in recent years, with many expressing a desire to turn the avenue into a corridor. The street has a blend of historic properties - the city's 130-year-old Old Town Hall and 1876 Schoolhouse are there - and a mix of new townhomes, condos and mixed-use development.

When the street opens, Habel said, the difference will be instantly noticed by drivers and pedestrians.

'The road is in the same place, but it's very different,” she said. 'I think people will be surprised by how much it has changed.”