Project of the Week: 12th St SE / Coe Rd NE

For decades, 12^th Street SE and Coe Road NE directed one-way traffic past Coe College. Now those roads are being converted to two-way traffic - and engineers say the change will be a big improvement for the area.

"Coe Road NE and College Drive NE were paired one-way streets, with one southbound and the other northbound," says Design Manager Bryan Benjamin. "That worked for traffic years ago, before I-380 was constructed. Traffic patterns have changed. Today, having more routes with two-way traffic helps with efficiency and safety."

Launched in June and expected to be finished this fall, the project's many features include:

• One-way to two-way traffic conversion on 12th Street SE between 1st Avenue E and 3rd Avenue SE;
• One-way to two-way traffic conversion on Coe Road NE between 1st Avenue E and A Avenue NE;
• One-way to two-way traffic conversion on 13th Street SE between 1st Avenue E and 2nd Avenue SE;
• Traffic signal, pavement marking, and sign improvements;
• Replacement of sanitary manholes and watermain on 12th Street SE;
• Replacement of sidewalk on 12th Street SE between 2nd Avenue SE and 3rd Avenue SE;
• Repairing the pavement on 12th Street SE between 1st Avenue E and 3rd Avenue SE;
• Adding parking on Coe Road NE near Greene Hall.

The new parking is ideal for campus visitors, student move-in and move-out days, and serving as a loading zone for deliveries. The parking stalls are located off the side of the road, which increases safety.

Making progress

Workers are currently focused on the Coe Road NE segment of the project. New concrete sidewalk is being placed next to Greene Hall, along with new pavement markings to convert Coe Road NE to two-way traffic between 1^st Avenue E and A Avenue NE. Soon the team will install the permanent traffic signal mast arm at Coe Road NE and 1^st Avenue E.

Lanes are shifted around the construction area for traffic on Coe Road NE north of A Avenue NE, allowing limited traffic to still move through the area. Coe Road NE is closed between 1st Avenue E and A Avenue NE. A detour is posted.

Beginning on Monday, July 20, the City is closing 12^th Street between 1^st Avenue E and 2^nd Avenue SE for utility work. This is to allow multiple utilities to be relocated.

The City has been working closely with Coe College and other local property owners on the project, keeping them updated on progress.

"The reactions have been positive," Benjamin says. "Converting roads to two-way traffic is providing greater access to local properties. It will also provide alternative routes for future construction project detours."

The work is made possible by Paving for Progress, a program that exists solely for the maintenance, repair, construction and reconstruction of public streets. The program is funded by a one percent local option sales tax, meaning the repairs are funded by both Cedar Rapids residents and visitors who shop and dine in our community. The program has resulted in 133 miles of repaired or replaced roadways since 2014.

Investing in the future

Residents often ask how streets are selected for repair each year. The City uses a 10-year management plan using pavement condition data collected on every street in Cedar Rapids. The data is collected by a vehicle that drives the surface of the roads and collects data on texture, pavement distress, and roughness.

Fresh data is collected every two years, and the plan is updated accordingly. Key Goals include:

• Fully reconstruct some of the roads in worst condition
• Perform less costly preventative maintenance to extend the life of additional roads, investing in those roads before they reach the end of their service life
• Make improvements to residential neighborhoods that have long been neglected
  
  

"The City is very grateful for residents' support of the Paving for Progress program," says Doug Wilson, Engineering Manager for Paving for Progress. "Without the local option sales tax being approved by voters twice, the program wouldn't exist, and streets like 12^th Street would continue to deteriorate.

"Instead, we have been able to repair so many streets over the past 12 years," he says. "Residents tell us that they are very appreciative of the City working on their street, and of the efforts by the City staff to communicate with the neighborhood throughout the work process."

You can learn more about the 12^th Street SE/Coe Road project here. Learn more about Paving for Progress 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:

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