Hunter
10/14/24
If you’ve ever driven under the Pedestrian Bridge that leads to the University of Iowa medical campus on Riverside Drive and wondered when it was ever going to be fixed, wonder no more.
The City of Iowa City will be addressing the eyesore this coming summer.
The Daily Iowan reports the bridge has been in use since the early 1960s. A 2019 inspection found deterioration and cracking in the bridge’s concrete. City senior engineer Alin Dumachi said the bridge also has exposed reinforcement because of cracks, which has led to corrosion.
This summer, crews will be removing the outside two feet of the bridge and repouring the concrete there. There will also be spot repairs as needed, followed by the application of a coating to give the bridge a uniform cosmetic consistency.
Dumachi said Riverside Drive may see lane closures at times, but mostly at night to minimize traffic issues. No complete road closure is expected.
Additional amenities include new handrails, lighting, and accessibility improvements at the bridge’s connection to the sidewalk that leads to the Iowa River Trail.
The $1.3 million project is a joint collaboration between the City of Iowa City, the University of Iowa, and the Iowa Department of Transportation. The City and the UI will each pitch in 25 percent of the cost, with the DOT covering the remaining half.