CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – December 14, 2018 – The 2018 Paving for Progress construction year is coming to an end, which included approximately 9.8 linear miles of roadway improvements (or approximately 20 lane miles) for the completion of 28 projects on both local and arterial roads. This was the fifth year of the program, and one of our most ambitious to date. At the peak of construction season, the combined value of projects underway exceeded $30 million.
This year was the first of a three-year project to replace O Avenue NW between Edgewood Road and Ellis Boulevard. The segment completed this year included a complete overhaul of the section from 16th Street to Ellis Boulevard, including new sewer, water main and pavement. The next segment of O Avenue is scheduled to begin in 2020 and will be completed in 2021, and will result in the complete reconstruction of O Avenue NW between Edgewood Road and Ellis Blvd.
Other major projects this year included:
- Johnson Avenue NW – This was the first year of a two-year project. 2018 work included the section from east of Jacolyn Drive to Wellesley Court/Shelley Lane. The work consisted of complete pavement replacement, roundabout installation to address the corridor’s accident-prone intersection, and utility work. The entire project will stretch from 1st Avenue to Midway Drive.
- E Avenue NW from Highway 100 to Stoney Point Road, and Stoney Point Road from E Avenue to Cherry Hill Park – This was the first year of a two-year project. This year, work focused on the E Avenue portion from west of Highway 100 to Bluestone Street, which included upgrading the road to curb and gutter instead of ditches.
- Northwood Drive NE from Glass Road to 42nd Street – This was the final year of a two-year project to reconstruct this neighborhood street. Work this year focused on the section from Glass Road to south of Brookland Drive, and included pavement reconstruction and sidewalk.
By the end of the 2018 construction season, 28 streets will have been improved through the local option sales tax, including:
- 14th Avenue SE from 36th Street to 42nd Street
- 14th Street SE from 5th Avenue to Bever Avenue
- 16th Avenue SE from 4th Street to 5th Street
- 17th Street SW from 1st Avenue to 8th Avenue
- 22nd Avenue SW from 6th Street to 8th Street
- 23rd Street NW from Johnson Avenue to Burch Avenue
- 27th Avenue SW from 3rd Street to J Street
- 36th Street SE from Clark Road to Dalewood Avenue
- 6th Street SW Culvert at Hoosiers Creek
- Bayberry Drive SW from Cameo Lane to Edgewood Road
- Bramble Road SW from 29th Avenue to 33rd Avenue
- Cameo Lane SW from Pebble Drive to 33rd Avenue
- Carriage Drive SW from Bramble Road to Chapel Drive
- Chapel Drive SW from 29th Avenue to Bayberry Drive
- Coral Lane SW from Cameo Lane to Eden Lane
- Drexel Drive SW from 1st Avenue to Langdon Avenue
- Eden Lane SW from Bayberry Drive to 33rd Avenue
- Hollywood Boulevard NE from Center Point Road to Council Street
- Mansfield Avenue SE from 34th Street to 32nd Street
- Meadowbrook Drive SE from 23rd Street to Bever Avenue
- Northwood Drive NE from Glass Road to south of Brookland Drive
- Avenue NW from 16th Street to Ellis Boulevard
- Oakland Road NW from H Avenue to 32nd Street
- Pebble Drive SW from Chapel Drive to Bramble Road
- Texas Avenue NE from Center Point Road to Sherman St
- Westview Drive NW from 1st Avenue to Sharon Lane
- Wilson Avenue SW from West Post Road to Troy Street
- Woodland Drive SE from Bever Avenue to Grande Avenue
We also had an opportunity this year to work jointly with Linn County to make improvements to Milburn Road NE from Blairs Ferry to Tower Terrace Road. Linn County has been a great partner in helping to ensure cross-jurisdiction streets are kept in good condition.
This construction year posed several challenges, including cold and wet weather extending into late spring, above-average rainfall in August and September, and multiple major flood stage threats. As a result, some projects will carry into the next construction season. Despite the poor weather, the City completed more miles of roadway repairs this year than last year (approximately 20 lane miles this year, compared to approximately 14 lane miles repaired during the 2017 season).
Projects that will carry over into next year include:
- 3rd Avenue Bridge
- Arizona Avenue NE from Center Point Road to Lawrence Street
- H Avenue NE from 14th Street to 16th Street; 16th Street NE from H Avenue to D Avenue
- Lawrence Street NE from Hollywood Boulevard to Arizona Avenue
- Memorial Drive SE from McCarthy Road to Mt Vernon Road
- Memorial Drive SE from Mt Vernon Road to Bever Avenue
- Midway Drive NW from West Post Road to Zelda Drive and from Alma Drive to Wiley Boulevard
PAVING FOR PROGRESS PROGRAM IMPACTS TO DATE
Paving for Progress began during the summer of 2014 and started with streets that required minimal design considerations or complexities. The program has since evolved to include a 10-year capital improvement plan that includes a prioritization list and recommended treatment methods, based on data on city roadways. The plan was published in 2015 and updated in 2017 based on new pavement data. The plan will continue to be updated approximately every two years to address changing needs in the city’s infrastructure.
To date, the program has made the following impacts:
- Linear miles of roadway improved: 43.68
- Investment as of October 31, 2018: $79.7 million
- Projects completed to date: 134
- 66 percent of completed projects have been local/residential
- 33 percent of completed projects have been arterial
