Project of the Week: Adding Sidewalks To Blairs Ferry Road NE

Blairs Ferry Road is one of the city's most heavily traveled roads for local drivers. Now, thanks to a new sidewalk infill project, it is far more welcoming to pedestrians, too.

From North Towne Place NE to Council Street NE, Blairs Ferry Road featured numerous areas with no sidewalk, making the busy road unfriendly to those needing to walk. For the first half of the project, crews worked to fill those sidewalk gaps along the north side of Blairs Ferry. This fall, they are finishing the south side.

Along with filling in sidewalk gaps, the project includes short retaining walls, drainage improvements and driveway reconstruction.

"The project is part of the City's efforts to develop a connected pedestrian network throughout the city," says project manager Michael Roberts. "The sidewalk gives all residents the option to use alternative methods of transportation to get around."

Part of the Plan

The importance of projects like the Blairs Ferry Sidewalk Infill is outlined in the Cedar Rapids Pedestrian Master Plan.

In 2018, the City sought the public's input on prioritizing sidewalk needs throughout the community. More than 1,200 participants gave feedback through online surveys, open houses, and pop-up workshops that advised planners on how to improve connectivity and make walkability a more positive experience for all users.

Adopted by the Cedar Rapids City Council in 2019 and updated in May of this year, the Pedestrian Plan identified the portion of Blairs Ferry Road between North Towne Place NE and Council Street NE as a very high-risk street for pedestrians. Factors that determine that risk level include the number of travel lanes; speed; number of vehicles on the road; and the demand of pedestrian users. With both business and residential areas along this stretch of Blairs Ferry, the need for safer pedestrian access was clear.

The Blairs Ferry project has already worked its way starting from the west past Center Point Road. It is expected to be finished by the end of the 2026 construction season. Even with a few months still to go, Roberts says he is already seeing the benefits, with the completed portion of sidewalk between N Towne PL NE and Center Point Rd NE now being used by pedestrians.

Better Roads Ahead

Blairs Ferry Road is home to a number of local businesses, and a sidewalk infill project presents challenges for those businesses and their customers during construction. For that reason, The City made sure nearby businesses - such as Hy-Vee Pharmacy, Hardee's, Dollar Tree, Pierson's Flowers, Divine Shine Auto Detailing, Casa Las Glorias, Acme Tools, Frontier Garden Center, and more - were given plenty of warning and help, including signage, detours, and more.

"Businesses with a single access point were required to be completed in phases, in order to allow portions of the access to remain open at all times," said Roberts. "Along with media blasts and pre-construction letters, the contractor handed out door hangers with contact information and spoke to businesses prior to construction. We really made an effort to ensure their customers would always be able to reach a businesses."

Those concerns are a vital part of Better Roads Ahead, a City program that aims to keep residents and businesses informed, help businesses stay accessible, and remind the community that today's roadwork leads to long-term improvements.

You can learn more about the Blairs Ferry Road Sidewalk Infill project here. You can learn more about Better Roads Ahead here. You can read the Pedestrian Master Plan 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:

August 20: Downtown Railroad Crossing Repair
August 13: 3^rd Street SW
August 6: CIPP Sewer Repairs
July 30: 6^th Avenue SW from 1^st Street to 2^nd Street
July 24: 4^th Street Trail Extension
July 17: 12^th Street SE/Coe Road
July 10: 34^th Street SE
July 3: Roundhouse
June 25: Mount Vernon Road
June 18: Grande Avenue SE
June 11: O Avenue NW Time Check Elevation Project
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