Lane closures for campus steam tunnel repair to last through December

IOWA CITY - The University of Iowa is about halfway done with a yearlong project to replace the deteriorating steam distribution system beneath the streets near the Boyd Law Building.

The $8.5 million project, started in January, has caused lane closures at the intersection of Riverside Drive and Grand Avenue, just west of downtown. The latest phase, which won't be done until December, has closed the right-hand turn lane from northbound Riverside Drive onto Burlington Street, causing traffic backups during morning and evening commutes.

'Indeed it is a busy intersection,” said Rod Lehnertz, director of planning, design and construction for UI Facilities Management. But, 'we have to do utility-related work in that area to address aging underground tunnel systems that provide critically-important steam to the west side of the campus and UIHC.”

The system carries steam generated at the UI Power Plant to buildings for heat and, in the case of UI Hospitals and Clinics, sterilization of equipment. Vaults provide access points to maintain steam piping valves and other components, facilities spokeswoman Wendy Moorehead said. Steam tunnels, previously used to access steam pipes, will be filled with cement.

Here are the phases of the project and when they will be complete:

' The Riverside Vault, at the northwest corner of the Riverside/Burlington intersection, will be complete in June.

' The Byington Vault, under Byington Road and Grand Avenue, should be done in August. Until that time, drivers won't be able to turn left from Byington onto Grand and will need to merge into one lane on eastbound Grand. Bus stops have also been moved.

' The Boyd Vault, just north of the law school, is also expected to be complete in mid-August.

' The Dam Riser Vault, between Riverside Drive and the Iowa River, will be done in December. This project closes the right-hand turn lane from Riverside to Burlington.

The UI is making the repairs now so this route to campus and downtown will be restored before 2016, when Iowa City starts the Gateway Project, which will raise Dubuque Street and the Park Road bridge over flood levels.

'We work to avoid major interruptions to important city access points at the same time,” Lehnertz said. 'We need to get this work done and out of the way ahead of likely congestion on Dubuque next year.”

For updates on UI road, sidewalk, entrance and elevator closures, check the Access and Construction website and sign up for automatic email notifications. For questions or concerns, call UI Facilities Management at (319) 335-5500.