Project of the Week: O Avenue NW Time Check Elevation Project

It won't be long before residents can take a Saturday afternoon stroll above a new levee on O Avenue NW, surrounded by greenery as they take in features like the Northwest Gateway arch, the West Side Rising Sculpture and the Northwest Memorial Park.

It will not feel like the latest piece of the City's Flood Control System. It will simply feel like part of the neighborhood.

That is the goal with the construction of the O Avenue NW Time Check Elevation project. Work started in late May, with crews working to remove old pavement and utilities from Penn Ave NW to 1st Street NW, and to prep the area for construction of the new levee.

Workers are also digging a large inspection trench, also known as a "keyway," not far from the Northwest Gateway arch.

"The purpose of the inspection trench is to help stabilize and prevent any shifting of the earthen levee as it sits on the native material," says Project Manager Jason Junk. It also acts as a cutoff wall for water seepage."

As the project continues, workers will build a 15-foot-tall levee with a new street passing over it as it leads directly to the river. The project will finish off years of O Avenue work in the Northwest Neighborhoods.

"I was part of the team that constructed the wave wall memorial and gateway sign in 2018, knowing that one day the O Avenue levee would be built," Junk says. "It will be nice to see it through its completion."

Rob Davis, Flood Control System Manager, calls the project "a major step for the northwest Neighborhood." He says the project is a perfect example of how the Flood Control System "hides in plain sight" with features that can be used every day.

"The flood control components are there for when we need them, but the everyday items are what help make this a community," Davis says. "Those would be things like the trails, the amphitheater, and the upgrades to Ellis Park.

"The momentum is really taking off now."

Building an effective Flood Control System has been a key priority for the City since 2008, when the Cedar River crested to its highest level in Cedar Rapids history. Flood waters penetrated 10 square miles of the City, impacting 5,390 homes and dislocating 18,000 residents.

Now under construction, multiple portions of the Flood Control System have already been completed. The system is designed to convey the same water volume as the 2008 flood, reducing flood risk through the heart of the City on both the west and east sides of the river. The system will incorporate a combination of floodwalls, levees, and gates, and feature aesthetic elements that reflect our community's culture, history, and vision.

The O Avenue project is a perfect example of this approach. The levee will extend a few hundred feet northwest and southeast of O Avenue. When finished, O Avenue itself will go under the Gateway Arch, then raise up by 15 feet before passing directly over the levee. This option is a less expensive and more aesthetic way to provide access to both the protected side and to the waterfront area, as opposed to using a gate.

"This O Avenue project is important for several reasons," Davis says. "From a flood control standpoint, this section of levee doesn't run parallel to the river, and a non-parallel levee is harder to protect with interim Hesco Barriers. So this project provides enhanced flood protection until the full system is built, because it reduces the diagonal (to the river) temporary flood control. It is a major step for the Northwest Neighborhood, and we are very pleased and excited to ramp up flood control there."

The O Avenue project has been funded via the American Rescue Plan, as well as Iowa Flood Mitigation funding. Building of the levee will be finished this year, with paving set for 2027. The overall Flood Control System is expected to be finished by 2035.

"This project would not be possible without the tremendous support of the City Council and City Manager," Davis says. "They have embraced 'hiding flood control in plain sight,' and allowed for this project to do so much more than just flood control. And, their allocation of American Rescue Plan funding specifically to O Avenue Project has allowed this to proceed to construction earlier"

Learn more about the O Avenue NW Time Check project here.

Learn more about the Flood Control System here.

Project of the Week puts a spotlight on work happening all over the City every day. Each week, we will take a closer look at projects that are investing in our community's roads, trails, Flood Control System, and more. See previous installments here:

June 5: Nassau Street
May 28: Cedar Lake
May 21: Tree of Five Seasons Park
May 14: 20th Street NW
May 7: 18th Avenue SW
April 30: Alliant Energy LightLine™
April 23: 42nd Street
April 16: The 3rd Avenue Bridge