First Avenue bridge work to start Monday in Coralville

Let the traffic headaches begin.

Work is to start Monday on the reconstruction of the First Avenue bridge over Clear Creek in Coralville.

The outer northbound lane near the bridge will be closed to traffic Monday.

Starting Thursday, First Avenue will be reduced to one lane in each direction immediately north and south of the bridge for the duration of the project, which is expected to take most of the year.

The nearby First Avenue-Highway 6 intersection is the busiest in Johnson County, seeing an average of 50,000 vehicles a day.

Coralville officials have acknowledged traffic will be an issue but say the project will be better for the community in the long-run.

The work is part of a major project along First Avenue intended to mitigate future flooding. The area was under several feet of water in the 2008 flood.

The new bridge will allow more water to flow underneath and will be five lanes, have 10-foot-wide sidewalks and a pedestrian underpass.

There will be meetings open to the public at

1:30 p.m. every Thursday at City Hall to discuss the project.