Hunter
11/15/24
Iowa City is beginning to plan for the Burlington Street Bridges replacement project.
The Gazette reports the city has hired Cedar Rapids-based HDR to study the bridges and offer a preliminary design for their replacement. A design is expected to be finalized sometime in 2026. The city is spending $1.8 million for the study and design.
HDR has already employed a biological consulting group to conduct diving under the dam beneath the bridges to identify any endangered species.
The bridges were inspected in 2021 revealing cracks in the concrete and exposed steel reinforcement. The bridges were deemed in poor condition and structurally deficient.
Iowa City Senior Engineer Justin Hartland said the bridges still can be used by daily traffic without pause.
The bridges and the dam have been a fixture in Iowa City for decades. The dam, owned by the University of Iowa, was built in 1906. The eastbound bridge belongs to the City; it was built in 1915 and restored in 1986. The westbound bridge, owned by the Iowa DOT, was built in 1969.
The project is estimated to cost $30 million, with construction likely to begin in 2028 or 2029.