City of Des Moines Engineering Department Road Closings

The $426 million project led by the Iowa Department of Transportation will reconstruct I-235 to modern design standards with six through travel lanes (three in each direction) the entire length of the freeway, and with improved entrance and exit ramps. Some sections will be four lanes in each direction and auxiliary lanes will be located between many of the interchanges. The plans also include beautifying the freeway corridor with lighting, plants and other improvements. The I-235 project should be completed by 2006.

1. ML King - Fleur Drive near Waterworks Park

Work has begun on the portion of ML King along Fleur Drive near Waterworks Park, including two new bridges over the Raccoon River, to connect the north-south and east-west segments of ML King. Fleur Drive will be reduced to one lane in each direction during this construction, which is scheduled for completion by mid-summer of 2005.

2. ML King – 7th to 16th Streets:

The paving portion of this project is completed. Landscape work should be complete by mid-summer

3. ML King – Ingersoll to Center

The paving portion of this project is completed. Sidewalk construction, landscape work, alley construction and brick crosswalk construction should be complete by late summer. Lane closures will be necessary at times on ML King and Ingersoll.

4. ML Kinkg - Ingersoll Avenue to Raccoon River

Work will continue on the retaining wall, bridge railing, street lighting installation and landscaping through the summer.

5. SW 9th Street and Porter Intersection

Work on this intersection safety improvement, which consists of widening of SW 9th to provide left-turn lanes and new traffic signals, will resume this spring. Traffic on SW 9th will be reduced to one lane in each direction during the work, which will restart in April and be completed by late summer

6. SW 9th Street at Yeader Creek Bridge

Traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction during much of this bridge replacement work, which will begin in late March and be completed by December.

7. 6th and Euclid Avenue Intersection

This Highland Park Streetscape project is scheduled to begin this spring and be completed by this fall, and will include new streetlights and reconstructed traffic signals. It is expected that traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction during most of the construction period.

8. 3rd Street Realignment – Iowa Events Center

3rd Street is closed to allow construction of both the new arena and exhibition hall. The street is expected to be paved and re-open in June.

9. E 9th Street – Arthur to Hull - Upper

Union Park Storm Sewer – Phase 2
E 9th Street will be closed starting in May, during the Upper Union Park Storm Sewer project. Other local streets in the area may also be closed during construction, which will not be complete until 2005.

10. Park Street – 2nd Ave to 7th St

Construction of the Birds Run Outlet Sewer project will continue this year. Installation of this large sewer has required closing of Park Street in stages between 5th Street and 2nd Avenue. Traffic has been detoured via Watson Powell Jr. Way.

11. E University Avenue at 21st St – Dean Lake Storm Sewer

Construction of this storm sewer will begin this spring and be complete by the end of the year. Lane closures on E University Avenue will be required during the project

12. 10th Street Reconstruction – Pleasant to Chestnut

10th Street will be closed for the duration of the project. It is currently a one-way street, northbound, and will be modified to accommodate two-way traffic. The construction is planned for the summer and should take 2 to 3 months to complete.

13. 12th Street Reconstruction – Keo to Center

This work includes adding a right-turn lane, along Keo Way west of 12th Street. 12th Street will be widened to accommodate two lanes of traffic each way. Construction will be staged to maintain two-way traffic on 12th Street. The work should take about a month.

14. SE 14th Street & Indianola Ave Turn-Lane & Signal modifications

This work includes adding a right-turn lane on southeast bound Indianola at SE 14th, which will reduce traffic to one lane for that direction for about a month. Construction of a median on SE 14th, between Park and Indianola, is also included in this project, which will take about a week and shouldn’t impact traffic during peak hours. The construction is planned for the summer and should take a total of 2 months to complete.

15. US Hwy 69 & County Line Road Left-Turn Lanes & Traffic Signals

This project will provide traffic signals and left-turn lanes for US Hwy 69 at County Line Road. The inside (left) lane will be closed during off-peak hours for both northbound and southbound traffic. Construction will begin in early April, with completion by mid-June.

16. University Ave Bridge over the Des Moines River

The bridge will be reduced to one lane in each direction during most of the construction, which will include removing the existing asphalt overlay to repair the deck and replacement of the expansion joints and approach slabs. Work is scheduled to begin in late spring with completion in November.

17. E 30th Street Resurfacing – University to Dean

This work will impact traffic for a couple of months this fall.

1. 63rd Street at I-235

This interchange will be reconstructed from July through the summer of 2005. One lane of traffic in each direction will be maintained on 63rd Street.