Official: Avenue G viaduct

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Thu Sep 08, 2005 9:05 am

Street project continues to make headway

It's only taken 6 years since work started

but we might actually start to see construction next year.

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Fri Feb 03, 2006 12:09 pm

Work has been coming along nicely with our mild winter, looks like concrete will start to pour later this year.

Progress continues on Avenue G viaduct

Peterson Contractors Inc. has completed work on the first stage of the approaches to the Avenue G viaduct. This is the third in a series of five projects that will be let to complete the Avenue G viaduct and corridor between Eighth and 16th streets.

The construction of the viaduct is scheduled to begin in the winter of 2006, with the paving from Eighth to 16th streets to be completed in the fall of 2007. Completion of the viaduct and the paving of Avenue G will be followed by a fifth project that will include sidewalks, plantings and other aesthetics.

The total cost of the Avenue G viaduct and corridor project is estimated to be $30 million. Funding for the project comes from the Federal TEA 21 program, Union Pacific Railroad, Canadian National Railroad, Iowa West Foundation, Iowa Clean Air Attainment Program and the city of Council Bluffs.

Post by **Brad** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 1:39 pm

This looked like the road to no where when I drove by today. The east end of the viaduct looked like it ran straight in to the bluff.

Raraavis · Post by **Raraavis** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 1:43 pm

Is there a map of this project? I am confused as to where this project is?

Post by **Brad** » Sun Feb 26, 2006 1:45 pm

Two blocks north of Brodway in Centeral CB Iowa.

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Mon Feb 27, 2006 8:07 pm

It's a bit more than 2 blocks, but yeah, north of Broadway, between 8th and 16th Street. Besides the viaduct, the project will also include a connector from the South Expressway where it terminates at Broadway up to Ave G.

Raraavis · Post by **Raraavis** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 12:08 am

So parellel to the viaduct, down by the old UP train yards.

Of all the things CB needs this seems a waste of money. How about a off ramp from I-29 onto Broadway or onto Southbound 16th street.

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 9:06 am

The ramp off I-29 to Broadway is coming. The exit to N. 16th is in place already. Not sure what you mean, raraavis. $30 million is a drop in the bucket compared to the interstate reconstruction project that we so desperately need as well.

This is a very important project for the city, as far as transportation needs. Presently, the Broadway viaduct is the only east-west road that does not have an at-grade crossing, which poses a huge potential problem for emergency vehicle access, should Broadway have a road-closing accident on the viaduct. Additionally, Broadway is over-capacity. This Ave G viaduct will provide an additional east-west above grade crossing for emergency vehicles, as well as provide an alternate route for those vehicles that presently use N. 16th and Broadway viaduct for their route, thereby relieving traffic congestion on Broadway.

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 12:06 pm

Talk about timing! Here's an article related to exactly what I just spouted off earlier this morining:

Little remains in way of new viaduct

The long-awaited Avenue G viaduct should begin to take shape this fall, said City Engineer/Public Works Director Greg Reeder.

Actually, its presence can already be seen by the large vacant areas where house after house once stood before being demolished to make way for the project that will provide a second alternative for motorists crossing the railroad tracks between 16th and Eight streets.

Only five more houses and the Chalet Motor Inn, at the corner of 16th Street and Avenue G, need to be demolished, he said.

Construction bids for building the viaduct will be let in August, he said, with work to begin in the fall. It could be completed in a year or 18 months, he added.

While that work is going on, and afterward, the city will be making North Sixth and Seventh streets connector roads between Avenue G and Kanesville Boulevard.

"That's at least a year away, maybe two years," Reeder said of that component.

He said a completion date of 2009 for everything is a "good target," but maybe even 2008 is possible.

The viaduct will fill an important traffic need, especially down the road, officials have said.

Currently, the only east-west street in the city that has a viaduct over those busy railroad tracks is Broadway. City officials have long been concerned that emergency vehicles, heading toward a fire or major accident, might get stalled in heavy Broadway traffic or get stuck at a railroad crossing on another street.

About 30 trains use those tracks, located between 10th and 13th streets, daily. That number is expected to climb to 50 in the next 15 years or so.

Another benefit for the Avenue G viaduct will be the reduction of traffic on Broadway. The current traffic level on the Broadway viaduct is 33,250 vehicles per day. That will be reduced to 32,000 in 2030 because of the addition of the Avenue G viaduct as a second alternative over the railroad tracks.

The Avenue G viaduct will handle 19,200 vehicles a day by 2030, state highway officials said at a recent meeting. Without that viaduct, all of those 19,200 vehicles would probably use the Broadway route, causing "gridlock," especially during rush hour, one official said.

Raraavis · Post by **Raraavis** » Fri Mar 03, 2006 5:50 pm

I was talking about an exit from Northbound I-29 onto 16th street.

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Mon Mar 06, 2006 10:09 am

Actually, there is an exit, if you will, at N. 25th St. with a connector over to 16th (the connector was built specifically to provide that connection and should be marked as such). Not the greatest solution, but spacing between the onramp from N. 25th and a potential offramp to N. 16th is a problem with the current alignment of I-29 relative to N. 16th Street.

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 10:56 am

Just about there for the final construction phase:

Council OKs viaduct plans

After years on the drawing board and the acquisition and demolition of dozens of homes, the Avenue G viaduct project on Monday night reached its most climactic moment yet.

The Council Bluffs City Council approved the plans and specifications for the construction of the actual viaduct and the approach runways. The council voted 4-0 to approve the project.

The council's action also included its authorization for the Iowa Department of Transportation to seek bids for the work. Those bids will be opened on Aug. 15, with the council awarding the contract to the recommended company on Sept. 11. Work will begin shortly after that, with completion set for December 2007.

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 12:39 pm

Damn those railroads, always mucking things up:

Avenue G viaduct bid letting delayed

He learned on Wednesday that the bid letting for the viaduct, originally scheduled for next Tuesday, has been delayed until mid-October because signed agreements between the city and the Canadian National/Illinois Railroad on various issues were not received by the deadline set by the Iowa Department of Transportation, Reeder said.

The City Council approved the agreements in June, and they were sent to the railroad for its approval.

"The railroad has been unable to get all of its people to review and sign them," Reeder said.

He was told by a railroad official on Wednesday that "it takes time," Reeder said.

Time! 2 months is time! Grrrr....

Post by **Coyote** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 1:30 pm

This sounds just like the Fort Street project of a few years ago. They couldn't get all the players to the table at the same time. Well - Why not? I know that communication is the bane of any business or organization or meeting - but come on. Let's take a class on time management.

Who was it that said a Committee is a group that takes minutes and wastes hours?

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 1:54 pm

I believe that was Milton Berle (gads, some of us are showing our age).

Post by **Coyote** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 2:11 pm

I don't know if that quote was from Uncle Milton.
But who wrote: It is better to profit by a horrible example than to be one.

Big E · Post by **Big E** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 2:56 pm

Titus Maccius Plautus, circa 184 BC.

I think. I'm not as up on 2200 year old plays as I should be.

-Big E

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 4:40 pm

Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner. Plautus, the Roman playwright indeed. Now where would you find the Latin translation?

Post by **Coyote** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 5:51 pm

icejammer wrote:Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner. Plautus, the Roman playwright indeed. Now where would you find the Latin translation?

Where would I find the translation? After 3 years of Latin at Prep I would hope I could still conjugate
- so - my second year Latin book? Or maybe some Futurama New Space Roman Empire?

Post by **Brad** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 5:23 pm

Post by **Brad** » Sun Jan 14, 2007 5:25 pm

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 5:20 pm

Thanks for the pics! Â And in such wonderful weather too!

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 11:54 am

A minor setback at the construction site...

Crane tips over at viaduct construction site

There were no reports of injuries Monday when a crane that was working on the Avenue G viaduct tipped over. The crane was lifting a steel form for pouring concrete and apparently slipped off its platform as it was turning to the side, according to a spokesman for the company doing the work.

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 3:11 pm

Ave. G viaduct work on schedule

Despite a wet spring that made things mushy at times for construction, the Avenue G viaduct is on schedule for its opening later this year, said City Engineer/Public Works Director Greg Reeder.

"The viaduct is on track for a late fall, early winter completion," he said. "There's one deck left to pour." . . .

The council will also be asked to approve a change order for the addition of $35,000 on another aspect of the project. This involves artwork.

In the original design of the aesthetics portion of the project, it was determined that four "signature pylons" located at the ends of the viaduct would consist of brick and mortar fascia around inset limestone panels that would be engraved with artwork. . .

Post by **Brad** » Sun Aug 12, 2007 3:46 pm

I was just there an hour ago. Â Both approaches are poured and they are still working on pouring the bridge deck.

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 1:15 pm

Hooray!

Avenue G viaduct to open Wednesday

The day has finally arrived.

After years of planning, land acquisition and construction, the Avenue G viaduct between North Eighth and 16th streets will officially open on Wednesday.

"Everybody is ready to see it open," said City Engineer/Public Works Director Greg Reeder. "It's been a long time, almost 10 years."

A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. on the west end of the viaduct near 16th Street. This will be followed by a short presentation. The first car to travel over the viaduct will be the same car, owned by Bill Ballenger, that was the first to travel on the Broadway viaduct when it was built some 50 years ago, said Mayor Tom Hanafan.

After that's done, the viaduct will open for traffic around noon, according to Ron Tekippe, vice president of HGM Associates Inc. . . .

Now, to get that South Expressway connector underway...

Post by **Brad** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 1:27 pm

I hope there is a sidewalk with NO fence on the north side of that thing, Photos of the rail yard!

thenewguy · Post by **thenewguy** » Tue Nov 13, 2007 8:58 pm

Brad wrote:I hope there is a sidewalk with NO fence on the north side of that thing, Photos of the rail yard!

I thought you were going to say, "I hope there is a sidewalk with NO fence on the north side of that thing so that people could be run off the edge!" Â It'd be kind of morbid, but i still chuckled. Â I need a nap. Â haha.

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Thu Nov 15, 2007 12:14 pm

Avenue G viaduct opens, complete with Ballenger car

At around 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, a Model T from a bygone era cut apart a bright red ribbon and drove off into the future.

The event marked the grand opening of the Avenue G Viaduct that officials expect will create improved traffic flow and safety and better connectivity among the citizens of Council Bluffs.

"This is a wonderful day," Mayor Tom Hanafan told dozens of dignitaries. . . .

thenewguy · Post by **thenewguy** » Fri Nov 16, 2007 12:02 am

I took a drive down it today...actually pretty nice. Â I hadn't been down by the north 8th end for some time (obviously, it was blocked off), and i think they did a great job cleaning it up. Â Now, they could just bull doze a few more blocks and put up new housing and we'll be set ;) Â Oh, and redo the quik shop on 16th & G

Â Something that may involve tearing down the top & bottom duplex next to it, haha.

Post by **Brad** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 4:07 am

Update:

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 3:57 pm

Here's what the pillars at each end of the viaduct look like, this is from the west end, the east ones are under construction.

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Tue Jan 27, 2009 11:41 am

Daily Nonpareil wrote:In other action, the council approved the next phase of the Avenue G viaduct project that will involve the connector road from the viaduct to Broadway. This phase will focus on a new roadway alignment from Avenue G at Curtis Street to Avenue E. Improvements include concrete street pavement, concrete curb and gutter, storm water inlets, storm sewers, sanitary sewer and streetlights. The council approved the bid of $1,084,889 by R.D. Blue Construction of Crescent. It was the lowest of five bids submitted. The work will begin in the spring and be done by fall, Reeder said.