What is the Iowa City Gateway Project?
The Iowa City Gateway project will design and build solutions for the flooding that affects the Dubuque Street/Park Road Bridge Corridor. The goal is to ensure the Dubuque Street and the Park Road Bridge can remain open even during a 500-year flood event.
As part of this project, the City of Iowa City will develop and evaluate various alternatives for improving Dubuque Street and replacing Park Road Bridge. Once a preferred alternative receives federal approval, more detailed design and engineering plans will be developed, followed by construction of the new road and bridge.
Read more about the project’s Phase 1 plan
Project News & Events
Draft Alternatives Available for Public Review
Because the community has shown so much interest in the project, Iowa City added an opportunity for you to see preliminary, draft versions of the alternatives being developed. We appreciate your feedback as the team refines alternatives and begins the screening process.
The draft alternative maps from November – December 2011 can be viewed by clicking on the links below; note that the final recommendation could be a combination of the three alternatives.
Work is now underway to refine the alternatives and to carefully evaluate the impacts of each. That evaluation process includes careful consideration of the input provided by the community.
Important: The alternatives shown at this time are preliminary and will continue to be refined and updated over the next several months. Likewise, the impacts shown may be eliminated or reduced during the detailed, final design process.
Click here to see a list of the criteria that will be used in the screening process for Dubuque Street and for the screening process for Park Road Bridge.
In 2012, Iowa City anticipates hosting a public meeting which will share information on the recommended alternative for final design and construction.
Where Are We in the Project?
The Iowa City Gateway Project currently is in Phase 1. In this phase, the City of Iowa City will complete a federally required environmental study. The study documents the National Environmental Policy Act decision-making process that federal regulations and standards require for the Iowa City Gateway Project to access federal funds. Within the process, the team will evaluate how various design alternatives may affect the Iowa River, its floodplain and nearby neighborhoods, properties and community resources.
Phase 1 is expected to be completed in mid 2012. It will result in a recommended approach for improvements. Following federal approval, Phase 2 will produce detailed design and engineering of the Dubuque Street and Park Road Bridge improvements will begin. It is expected to take approximately 18 to 20 months. Construction is anticipated to begin at the conclusion of Phase 2 and will take approximately two construction seasons to finish.
Partners for a Successful Iowa City Gateway
The Iowa City Gateway Project is a partnership led by the City of Iowa City in cooperation with the Iowa Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration and U.S. Economic Development Administration. Together, these agencies and the City’s engineering consultant form the study team that will be responsible for making the Iowa City Gateway Project a success.
PROJECT LOCATION
The Iowa City Gateway is located in northwest Iowa City. It includes Dubuque Street, Park Road and the Park Road crossing of the Iowa River. As Iowa City's main northern entrance, Dubuque Street carries more than 20,000 vehicles a day from I-80 to the downtown business district and to the eastern portion of the University of Iowa's campus.
View Project Location Map (PDF)
Stay Engaged
Public input is important to the success of this project, so we invite you to stay engaged in the Iowa City Gateway. Email questions and comments about the project to Melissa Clow.
Sign up for potential future email communications by emailing info@iowacitygateway.org.
