Transportation

Chain Reaction Bike Hub, a new nonprofit, aims to break barriers people face to accessing reliable bikes and transportation in Linn County. Its new shop is open at 1010 Third Ave. in southwest Cedar Rapids.

Crossing over Mississippi closed Feb. 25 when piers shifted

Retailers and commuters cope while the Black Hawk Bridge over the Mississippi River is temporary closed.

After completing a plan guiding Cedar Rapids’ transition to lower-emission vehicles in the city’s quest to be carbon free by 2050, city officials are opting to seek federal funding to add five hybrid electric buses to its fleet.

Starting Monday, a free water taxi will cross the river there at certain times of the day for seven days a week until the bridge is repaired and reopened to traffic, the Iowa Department of Transportation announced Friday.

Contractors this month are pouring concrete for median barriers on I-380, near where it becomes Highway 218. The I-80 median barrier was completed in mid-January and a temporary barrier was removed in early February.

The Iowa Department of Transportation said Friday that as part of the repair work, sections of the bridge decking will be removed — closing the bridge to pedestrians as well as vehicles.

The bill would require the Iowa Transportation Commission to include in its long-range planning plans to make the entire length of Highway 30 four lanes — including a 40-mile stretch between DeWitt and Lisbon, just east of Cedar Rapids, and between Carroll and Ogden in western Iowa.