Construction Update: Block of 8th Street to be closed one week

The 200 block of East 8th will be closed to traffic one week for a sewer repair, Roscoe Avenue will be closed from 8th to Maiden Lane for WHSSSP Phase 4C, and a lane restriction begins Monday on the Becky Bridge to repair the lights in a busy upcoming construction week before the Labor Day holiday.

Repair of sewer pipe to close 200 block of East 8th Street

The 200 block of East 8th Street will be closed to traffic from August 31 to September 4 as KE Flatworks, Inc., repairs a cracked storm sewer pipe as part of the punch list for Phase 4B of the West Hill Sanitary & Storm Sewer Separation Project.

The crack was discovered as the new sewer pipe was being videotaped following completion of the 2019 Phase 4B work. City project managers indicate that the repair work will be completed during the one week of closure and the street will be reopened to traffic by the close of work on September 4. However, that schedule is weather dependent and could change if other unforeseen circumstances are encountered.

Roscoe Avenue to be closed to traffic starting August 31

Roscoe Avenue will be closed to traffic from West 8th Street to Maiden Lane along with a section of Maiden Lane starting Monday, August 31, as work in Phase 4C of the West Hill Sanitary & Storm Sewer Separation Project continues. KE Flatworks, Inc., plans to begin pavement removal on Monday in preparation for the sewer and water underground work on Roscoe Avenue.

The current schedule has KE Flatworks, Inc., completing the underground work and restoring the pavement on Roscoe Avenue before closing the Broadway and West 8th Street intersection.

Repairs to bridge lights set to begin

The lights on the Norbert F. Beckey Bridge may soon be back on according to the Department of Public Works. MUSCO Lighting will begin repairs to the lights on Monday, August 31, 2020. The lights were damaged when the bridge was painted two years ago.

Traffic across the bridge will be reduced to one lane during the replacement process with the downriver lane (eastbound lane) closed to traffic. Temporary stop lights will be activated on Monday to direct traffic across the bridge.

Park Avenue 4-to-3 Lane Conversion Project

The Park Avenue 4-to-3 Lane Conversion Project is expected to begin after the Labor Day holiday according to the Department of Public Works. All state requirements for beginning the work are expected to be completed next week.

The project was awarded to Manatts, Inc., at the June 16, 2020, Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) bid opening, and approved and accepted by the Muscatine City County at the July 16 Council meeting. Manatts, Inc., bid of $1.97 million was lower than the projected cost of $2.3 million and the lowest of three bids received by the Iowa DOT.

The project improvements focus specifically on safety, including traffic lane reconfiguration that would change the road from four lanes (two operating in each direction) to three lanes (one lane in each direction and a center two-way, left turn lane from Harrison Street to the Iowa 92 bridge. A total of 78 new curb ramps, full depth patching of Park Avenue, improvements to traffic lights at four intersections, and an asphalt overlay of the roadway are part of the project.

Work continues on West Hill Sewer Separation Phase 4C

The second stage for Phase 4C of the West Hill Sanitary & Storm Sewer Separation Project is nearing completion with repaving of West 8th Street from Linn to Broadway completed. The connector with Spruce was completed Friday with the Linn Street connector expected to be completed Monday. Driveways and sidewalks are also on the schedule.

Depending on the weather and any additional work, City project managers anticipate opening West 8th Street to local traffic only sometime before the Labor Day holiday or just after. Work on the Roscoe Avenue section of the project will also be completed before the final stage of the phase begins and work on Maiden Lane is completed.

The final stage includes the Broadway and West 8th Street intersection. The current tentative schedule has all work completed by October 15, weather permitting.

A full closure of West 8th Street from Linn to Broadway, and Linn Street from 7th Street to 8th Street will remain in effect through the end of the project. Portions of West 8th Street from Iowa to Broadway may be open to local traffic only as work progresses.

Traffic is detoured to 7th Street from Cedar to Broadway, and Broadway from 7th Street back to 8th Street. No parking is allowed on the even number side (river side) of 7th Street from Cedar Street to Broadway, or on the east side (odd number) side of Broadway from 7th to 8th Street. The detour route will remain in place until the project is completed in October.

Traffic will be diverted around the Broadway intersection by using Fuller Street once work begins on the final stage of Phase 4C.

All dates are tentative and dependent on weather conditions or other unforeseen circumstances.

Drivers are urged to use caution when proceeding in or around construction areas and to find alternate routes of travel when possible.

2nd Street Streetscape Project continues

The westbound lane of the 200 block of East 2nd Street remains closed as KE Flatworks, Inc., continues with replacement of the sidewalk on the north side of the block. The east half of the north side has been replaced and work is underway to remove and replace the sidewalk on the west end of the north side.

Eastern Iowa Landscaping will install the brickwork before Muscatine Power & Water returns to replace the light poles with stripping of the parallel parking spaces on the north side wrapping up the work on the north side.

Westbound traffic through the 200 block of East 2nd Street is detoured to Cedar Street, to 3rd Street, to Sycamore Street, and back to 2nd Street. Traffic will be permitted eastbound through the construction area.

Full depth patching in the driving lanes of the 200 block of East 2nd Street will be done once the north side has been completed. Drivers need to be aware that there will be parking and traffic restrictions during the full depth patching process.

The 2nd Street Streetscape Project includes replacing the curb, gutter, and sidewalks on both sides of the street along with some full depth patching in the driving lanes from Walnut to Pine and includes some work from Walnut to the Roundabout. Work in the 300 block of East 2nd Street been completed except for some punch list items that will be addressed later.

The second stage also includes the reconstruction of the intersection of 2nd and Sycamore streets to match the work completed at the 2nd and Cedar intersection. The intersection work is tentatively scheduled to begin after work in the 200 block of East 2nd Street is completed. The intersection at Iowa and 2nd Street is also scheduled for replacement as part of the project.

The construction contract does not allow project work to continue past October 1 in each year of the two-year project, and work on the Sycamore Street and 2nd Street intersection may be postponed until the start of the 2021 construction season. The contractor indicated that, depending on available time, replacement of the curb, gutter, and sidewalks in the 100 block of East 2nd Street may occur before the intersection work.

All dates are tentative and dependent on weather conditions or other unforeseen circumstances.

Drivers are urged to use caution when proceeding in or around construction areas and to find alternate routes of travel when possible.

West Side Trail completed to Discovery Park

Heuer Construction, Inc., has completed pouring concrete for the West Side Trail project from Crossroads, Inc., to Discovery Park with backfilling and seeding yet to be accomplished before the trail is officially turned over to the City of Muscatine. Work on this section was delayed by the infrastructure work for the Arbor Commons development. The contractor has completed the trail from Hershey Avenue to Crossroads, Inc., along Houser Street and has permitted that section to be opened for public use.

— City of Muscatine