A shared-use trail near Dairy Queen will be closed for repairs throughout the summer.
The Iowa River Trail Bridge replacement project will revamp a portion of the existing path that runs between Burlington and Benton Streets, removing a fast-aging wooden bridge and replacing it with a concrete retaining wall.
The path runs parallel to Riverside Drive.
The retaining wall will reduce the city’s maintenance costs, “while allowing trail traffic to commute in the same manner it has,” a report from city staff said.
Bridge project will likely cost $450,000
On May 6, the Iowa City City Council awarded the project bid to Peterson Contractors Inc., a Reinbeck, Iowa, company, for just over $387,000. The city engineer’s office estimated the project would cost closer to $450,000 to complete.
Bridge part of minor path facelift
The trail project also includes several minor surface improvements along the path, from beneath the Iowa Interstate Railway bridge to the adjoining parking lot.
The pedestrian pathway runs along the west side of the Iowa River past the Burlington Street dam. It is the most direct path by foot or bicycle between Burlington and Benton Streets.
The Iowa River Trail is a segmented 16-mile path that connects many of Johnson County’s major cities.
The Iowa City portion of the trail could experience more traffic in the coming months as the large Replay Iowa City student housing complex wraps up. Replay touts the nearby Iowa River Trail as a main navigation point between the building and campus.
A trail detour will take pedestrians out along Riverside Drive, past Dairy Queen, Kelly’s Auto and Powersports, and Bruegger’s Bagels.
The project is expected to begin soon and will be completed by the end of the fall.
Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached at rhansen@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ryanhansen01.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Iowa City to replace River Trail bridge along Riverside Drive this summer. What to know
Reporting by Ryan Hansen, Iowa City Press-Citizen / Iowa City Press-Citizen
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