Lang
12/26/24
Much-needed improvements to a pedestrian bridge over Riverside Drive will have to wait a bit longer.
Improvements to the bridge that runs parallel to Iowa Avenue and Newton Road…including the spiral ramp next to the Iowa River…were set to begin sometime in the summer of 2025. But officials with the City of Iowa City now say all of the bids from potential contractors were too high, and the project has been put on hold indefinitely. The proposed improvements would have included new handrails, new lighting, and accessibility improvements at the bridge’s connection to the sidewalk that leads to the Iowa River Trail.
City Manager Geoff Fruin told The Cedar Rapids Gazette that there are no structural concerns, and various minor repairs will be done as needed.
The bridge has been in use since the early 1960s. A 2019 inspection found deterioration and cracking in the bridge’s concrete. City engineers noted the bridge also has exposed reinforcement because of cracks, which has led to corrosion.
The $1.3 million renovation project would have been a joint collaboration between the City of Iowa City, the University of Iowa, and the Iowa Department of Transportation, with the city and UI each chipping in 25% of the cost.
The similar pedestrian bridge over Riverside Drive…along Burlington Street and Grand Avenue…will be included in an ongoing study of the nearby Burlington Street bridges, which were deemed to be in poor condition and structurally deficient after a 2021 survey. The Burlington Street Bridge replacement project is estimated to cost $30 million, with construction likely to begin in 2028 or 2029.