On August 31, the City of Coralville was awarded $27.1 million in funding through IJOBS for recovery and protection of the First Avenue corridor.

The project includes replacement of the First Avenue bridge over Clear Creek and expansion of First Avenue to five lanes from 6th Street south to Clear Creek. Other project elements include flood walls and berms along the Iowa River from Interstate 80 south to the Iowa River Power Company parking lot, tying into the CRANDIC Flood Mitigation improvements; three storm water pump stations; wetlands walkways in the Iowa River Landing; and a trail connection under First Avenue at the bridge.

The first phase of the project will be the bridge replacement. Howard R. Green Co. has defined the construction schedule and sequencing for the First Avenue projects. This detailed review determined that First Avenue can be kept open to through traffic and access maintained to all adjoining businesses at all times during construction.

The following project components have been identified:

• First Avenue bridge replacement over Clear Creek
• IRL embankments and floodwalls
• IRP, IRL South, and IRL North storm water pump stations
• First Avenue reconstruction from Clear Creek to 6th Avenue
• IRL Wetlands Park Phase 2 improvements

Consulting services agreements totaling $2,476,079 were approved at the September 22 City Council meeting. These agreements start the design process for all projects except the First Avenue reconstruction.

Bid openings and estimated completion dates are:

• First Avenue Bridge; Bid Date: February 17, 2010; Estimated Completion Date: July 8, 2011
• Embankments and Floodwalls; Bid Date: April 20, 2010; Estimated Completion Date: October 5, 2010
• First Avenue Reconstruction; Bid Date: May 5, 2010; Estimated Completion Date: May 16, 2011*
• Pump Stations; Bid Date: June 1, 2010; Estimated Completion Date: March 8, 2011

*Street construction is anticipated to be completed in 2010 with planting to take place in 2011.

The IRL Wetlands Park Phase 2 Improvements Project is scheduled to be bid on March 1, 2010 with primary construction to be completed in 2010 and planting to be completed by May 15, 2011.

The I-JOBS program, created by Governor Culver and the Iowa Legislature, will invest a total of $830 million over the next two years to create and retain jobs, strengthen the economy, recover from last year's natural disasters, and improve Iowa's infrastructure.