Project of the Week: 5th Ave SE from 5th Street to 19th Street

As one of the City's oldest streets, Fifth Avenue SE used to feature a brick roadway with streetcar rails. When that system was shut down in the 1930s, the old rails were paved over and buried.

When the current road surface reached the end of its useful life almost a century later, the rails and the bricks began reappearing.

To address the deterioration - and to update the road's aging storm sewer, as well as provide ADA parking and improvements - the City launched an ambitious two-year repair project along 5^th Avenue in 2025. The work started in the heart of downtown at the intersection of 5^th Avenue SE and 5^th Street SE, before making its way through Wellington Heights and ending at 19^th Street.

"This project was an important upgrade for this neighborhood," says Project Manager Rebecca Lesnik. "The roadway was well past its useful life, and the water main really needed to be replaced. The completion of this project also improves the overall accessibility to the medical corridor, and that is a major benefit for the whole community."

As we get closer to winter, dropping temperatures mean that the crew has to wait until spring to place final sod. However, the entire road will be finished on time and open to traffic.

"This is one of the major thoroughfares into downtown," Lesnik says. "Residents are more than ready to get back on it."

The Long and Winding Road

Starting in the heart of downtown and stretching into Wellington Heights, the ambitious project navigated many challenges over the past two years. Lesnik noted that the City worked closely with MedQ to ensure the work met their needs and specifications.

Designers also had to replace an intersection that had once been an ancient cemetery site.

"We hired the state archaeologist to jointly oversee that part of construction, in case anything of importance was unearthed." Lesnik says. "I am glad to report that nothing was found, and that the stage was constructed as planned."

Crews are now working on the final stage of the project, from 17^th Street to 19^th Street. This involves milling the first few inches of roadway, removing curbs and rails, and cutting out the most deteriorated patches of pavement. Removal areas will then receive full-depth patches to limit future cracking.

Intersections within the project limits are being upgraded, including ADA-compliant sidewalk ramps and crosswalks. New water main and services are also being installed.

"We are pleased with the results," Lesnik says. "The contractor and City have worked really well in a joint effort to resolve any issues we have encountered."

The work is made possible by Paving for Progress, a program that exists solely for the maintenance, repair, construction and reconstruction of public streets. Seventy-five percent of the program's projects are in residential neighborhoods like 5^th Avenue SE between 14^th Street and 19^th Street.

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.

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 roads like 5^th Avenue SE would continue to deteriorate. Instead, we have been able to repair so many streets over the past 12 years."

You can learn more about the 5^th Avenue SE Pavement Rehabilitation project . 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:

October 22: FY27 Large Diameter Sewer Inspections
October 15: FY26 Downtown Sidewalk Repair
October 8: Ellis Lane Tie-Off
Oct. 1: 2^nd Street SW

September 24: ROADEO and winter snow training
September 17: Bever Avenue and Green Valley Terrace
September 10: 3^rd Street SE
September 4: Jacolyn Drive NW

August 27: Blairs Ferry Road Sidewalk Infill
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