First phase of Highway 100 extension nears completion as second phase gets rolling

CEDAR RAPIDS — Motorists are months away from being able to drive on the first part of a decades-in-the-works Highway 100 extension.

The scenic route passes timber, wildflower prairies and over the Cedar River in northwest Cedar Rapids. The road opens up the commute for motorists from the northeast and southwest sides of Cedar Rapids, Marion, Fairfax, Palo and Atkins.

The full eight-mile beltway connecting Highway 100 from Edgewood Road west and south to Highway 30 remains on track for completion in 2020. But the first phase from Edgewood to Covington Road should be ready a little earlier than expected, said John Vu, the Iowa Department of Transportation project manager.

'Originally this section was not going to open up until next year,' Vu said. 'Then we said, if we can open it earlier, why not?

'After the letting and with the submitted schedule from the contractor, we are hoping to open this section by mid-November, weather permitting, or before Thanksgiving of 2016 at the latest,' he added.

The first phase of the road is fully graded. Because of delays with the completion of work at Edgewood Road, paving has moved west to east from Covington to the new Cedar River Bridge. The general contractor L.L. Pelling, which holds the $15 million paving contract, is expected to return to the site on Thursday to continue its work connecting from the river to just east of Edgewood.

The road will have 12.5 inches of pavement on top of 15.5 inches of packed rock to help withstand the wear and tear of traffic, Vu said.

Vu said the asphalt makes for a quieter dive, which also should minimize the noise for the handful of neighborhoods along the route.

'We knew this could happen'

The new road runs behind Becky Schulte's home on Oak Creek Drive, near Ushers Ferry. It's buffered by a tree stand, blocking out the view of the workers.

Schulte said the construction itself hasn't been a burden. The biggest issue was traffic delays tied to replacing the Edgewood Road bridge — but now that's over and detours are gone.

She said the Iowa DOT has done a good job providing updates about what is happening.

'When we moved in 16 years ago, we knew this could happen,' Schulte said. 'We can't really see it, but I'm sure we'll hear it.'

Along with the Edgewood Road project, other major and complicated aspects of Phase 1 also are largely complete.

Bridges over Ushers Ferry Road and a sweeping 1,865-foot span over the Cedar River and railroad tracks and under high voltage power lines from the Duane Arnold Nuclear Plant are in place. Access ramps now connect to new exits at Edgewood and Covington.

Ten separate subcontractors are tackling various aspects of the road, Vu said.

'We'll work in mud'

Earlier this month, on an overcast morning after an overnight heavy rain, four subcontractors were on site.

'When it's raining we don't work, but when it like this we're fine,' said Russ Noble, of Reilly Construction Co. of Ossian. 'We'll work in mud to get the job done.'

Reilly Construction was installing drainage intakes, which descend 22 feet below the road surface to a stormwater system. Noble said they were about one-quarter of the way through the job of installing 137 intakes.

Boulder Contracting of Grundy Center was working on bridge approaches, which connect the main roadway and the bridge deck. A crew from Advanced Traffic Control of Cedar Rapids was laying steel rods, which serve as the structure for shoulder pavement.

Wicks Construction of Decorah is pouring the concrete for the shoulder.

The corridor lacks much room for drainage, prompting designers to use mechanically stabilized earth retaining walls to elevate the roadway and protect it from erosion in the surrounding land.

Project estimates have increased slightly, about 7.5 percent, from $200 million to $214 million.

'We would expect fluctuation from year to year due to bids coming in lower or higher, and there is an inflation factor every year,' said Cathy Cutler, a transportation planner for the Iowa DOT. 'Overall, the project is coming in very close to our expectations.'

As Phase 1 races toward the finish line, Moyna Construction is grading the land for Phase 2, and that should be complete by the end of the year.

The biggest impact in Phase 2 thus far has been the closure of 80th Street NW at E Avenue NW and the half-mile approach in each direction, which began two weeks ago.

This intersection is near the site of a future interchange. Residents of First Avenue NW in the nearby housing development still have access to Highway 30 and 16th Avenue SW via 80th Street.

Bruce Eichmeyer of Eichmeyer Thermo King Services, on Ellis Road near the construction area, said the traffic effects have been minimal.

'When they put in the bridge over Ellis Road, it's going to be a little more of a hassle, but (that) shouldn't bother me a whole lot,' Eichmeyer said.

Hugh Holak, an Iowa DOT project manager for this part of the project, said the intersection closure will be in place until fall 2017. Residents on First Avenue NW will lose access to 80th Street for about two months, though that time hasn't been scheduled yet, he said.

This area is one of the most complicated parts of Phase 2 with six different bridges and two large box culverts.

Cedar Rapids added back in access ramps from 80

^th

 Street to Highway 100. The city is covering the cost while Iowa DOT will manage construction. The extension project always has connected Highway 30 to 100 in every direction at Iowa DOT costs.

There will be bridges for eastbound and westbound Highway 100 over Morgan Creek, a bridge for each interchange access ramp over Morgan Creek, a bridge for E Avenue over Highway 100, E Avenue over Morgan Creek, and box culverts over a ditch and over Burger Lane.

'We are regrading the whole thing for the interchange,' he said. 'It'll be that way for a while.'

Also at the south end of the extension is a $7.5 million project to add additional access ramps to where Highway 30 and Highway 100 merge. The city initiated and will cover the costs for this, but the Iowa DOT will manage the construction.

The contract lettings for that are scheduled for August, Holak said.

Highway 100 is expected to transform the rural landscape of farmland, woodland and prairie. Some planning studies have suggested the area could see thousands of new homes — with 25,000 to 30,000 residents — and thousands of new jobs in the coming decades.

'The opening of the highway creates efficiencies in the transportation system that will create attractive locations for the growth that does happen in the region,' said Seth Gunnerson, a Cedar Rapids city planner. 'With residential rooftops will come increased demand for restaurants, retail and other services, which will place jobs near the highway.

'It also provides land that might be attractive for employers coming to the region or looking to expand into newly built facilities.'