Project of the Week: Bever Avenue intersection with Green Valley Terrace

On Bever Avenue, an intersection with Green Valley Terrace was starting to show its age. However, fixing it could create plenty of disruption for residents in the neighborhood.

Yet the crew managed to completely replace the surface, replace sewer pipe and subdrain, and add new ADA ramps and sidewalk connections - all without ever having to close the intersection.

"Our contractor did their best to maintain access for the local residents," said project manager Michael Roberts. "They left one lane of traffic open at all times, and repaved the intersection in three pours to accommodate access."

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 Bever Avenue and Green Valley Terrace.

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.

Final touches are now being put on the intersection A few sidewalk connections remain to be poured, as well as sod work for the areas around them. The project should be entirely finished in the next few weeks.

"The City, the contractor, and the local residents all played a role in working together to get this project done, and it turned out great," Roberts said. "It will last for a long time."

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 intersections like the one at Bever Avenue and Green Valley Terrace 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 intersection of Bever Avenue and Green Valley Terrace 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:

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