2024 5th Avenue Reconstruction Project
Rathje Construction – $2,098,113.99

Funding Source: Neighborhood Street Improvements (LOST)

Project Overview: This project will reconstruct 5th Avenue from 1st Street to 7th Street, including necessary upgrades to the water, sanitary sewer and storm sewer infrastructure. This project also includes water main and sewer improvements along 1st Street from 3rd Avenue to 6th Avenue.

Progress Update: Work on Stage 1 – reconstruction on 5th Avenue from 1st Street to 3rd Street – is complete. Work on Stage 2 – improvements to 5th Avenue from 4th Street to 7th Street began in June and is to be completed within 85 working days.

2025 1st Avenue Reconstruction Project
Rathje Construction – $1,747,847.27

Funding Source: Pavement Management Program and the Sanitary Sewer Manhole & Sliplining Program 

Project Overview: The project includes the complete removal and replacement of 1st Avenue from the intersection of 15th Street to 22nd Street as well as removal and replacement of 22nd Street from 1st Avenue to 3rd Avenue. The project includes necessary upgrades to water, sanitary sewer and storm sewer infrastructure.

Progress Update:  Work on Stage 1 shall commence no earlier than June 9, 2025, and no later than June 16, 2025, and be completed within 85 working days.  Stage 1 includes work from 15th Street to just east of 19th Street.  Work on Stage 2 shall commence no earlier than June 8, 2026, and no later than June 15, 2026, and be completed within 85 working days.

2025 HMA Resurfacing Project

Project Overview: This annual program includes the asphalt overlay of public streets evaluated to be both in the most need, and to provide the greatest benefit to the most drivers. Staff reviewed street conditions to select locations to be included in the 2025 program.

Progress Update: The 2025 HMA Resurfacing Project will include the following streets:

• Twixt Town Road from Cedar Rapids to Marion
• Hillview Drive from 5th Street to 22nd Street
• Valleyview Drive from 15th Street to 22nd Street
• 25th Avenue from Indian Creek Road to 27th Street
• Meadowview Drive from E Post Road to S 15th Street
• S 15th Street from Grand Avenue to Daleview Drive
• 8th Avenue from 6th Street to 10th Street
• Winslow Road from timber bridge and extending to newer paving to the north and south

Work shall be completed no later than September 26, 2025.

2025 Pavement Patching Project

Project Overview: This project includes the rehabilitation of several roads throughout the city. The work includes full depth patch and surface grinding. As always occurs, not all streets in need will be addressed in this year’s project but will be considered for future years.

 Progress Update: The 2025 Pavement Patching Project includes full depth patching, surface grinding and other associated improvements to the following roadways:

• 6th Avenue from 8th Street to 15th Street
• Boyson Road from west City limits to Central Avenue
• 35th Street from Monarch Avenue to 29th Avenue
• 29th Avenue from 35th Street to Highland Drive

Work is specified to begin no later than July 7, 2025 and be completed within 80 working days.

2025 Sidewalk Ramp Project
Hunt Construction – $167,297.50

Project Overview:  The City of Marion's plan is to achieve compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. This includes sidewalks, crosswalks, bus stops, pedestrian signals, pedestrian ramps and other features related to the safe movement of pedestrians. The City of Marion updated its ADA Transition Plan in 2023. Per the Transition Plan, the City has committed to annual funding to provide for the reconstruction of non-compliant sidewalk ramps.

The City has approximately 3,880 sidewalk ramps, of which 46% are compliant with design standards and 54% of the sidewalk ramps are considered non-compliant.

2025 Storm Sewer/Draintile Project
Valentine Construction – $187,346.25

Funding Source: Storm Water Utility and Curb Replacement 

Project Overview: Staff evaluate and consider storm sewer projects as they arise, typically in conjunction with other projects. Storm sewer/draintile projects, include the construction and reconstruction of storm sewers within the existing system.

Progress Update: The 2025 project includes draintile installation as well as removal and replacement of curb and gutter in these areas:

• 24th Street at 26th Avenue
• 21st Avenue near 24th Street
• 29th Street from 10th Avenue to 12th Avenue
• 27th Street near 4th Avenue
• Valley Park Street south of Grand Avenue

 Work shall commence on August 4, 2025, and be completed within 40 working days.

CONTRACT:
Concept Study - Snyder & Associates, $248,950.00

PROJECT OVERVIEW:
The project, using LOST funding - $1,300,000.00, will include the first phase of the extension of Alburnett Road from 7th Avenue to Boyson Road. The funding includes several early phases of the project: concept study, design, and possible right-of-way acquisitions. Project funding is not intended to provide for the construction of the bridge over Indian Creek, but will provide for extensive preliminary work to be completed.

On Feb. 15, 2001 Council approved the alignment option extending Alburnett Road south from Edinburgh Drive, south across Indian Creek, through Willow Park and along 2nd Street to 7th Avenue. Council later reaffirmed the need for the realignment due to traffic volumes and congestion along Central Avenue and 10th Street. On March 17, 2016 City Council directed staff to solicit engineering services to complete a concept study. Staff has since solicited Requests for Proposals, which were due on April 13, 2016. After staff's review of the proposals and recommendation to City Council, Snyder and Associates was awarded the contract June 23, 2016.

For more background information regarding the history of the Alburnett Road Extension Project, please read the memo staff presented to Council on June 22, 2017.
Alburnett Road Extension Project History - Council Memo

PROGRESS UPDATES:

Plans have been submitted for multi-department review. This project was deallocated a lot of its funds in the CIP on 12.6.18.  Work on the box culvert that is required for the bridge backwater and the Indian Creek Trail will be completed in the Spring of 2020. Staff will finalize the plans  when the funding becomes available. Plans will be completed and shelved until adequate funding is supplied.

Alburnett Road Extension Study

Project Overview: 

• Phase I - Demolition of Existing Rail Bridge over Marion Blvd  -  Phase I complete
• Phase II - Construction of Paved Trail from Grand Avenue Spur to Marion Blvd Bridge over Indian Creek.  Phase II complete
• Phase III - Reconfiguration and Preservation of Existing Rail Bridge over Indian Creek and Construction of Paved Trail Adjacent to Bridge. Phase III complete
• Phase IV - Construction of Pedestrian Trail Bridge over Marion Blvd and Paved Trail from Bridge to 7th Street.  Phase IV complete
• Phase V - Construction of Paved Trail from Grand Avenue Spur to City Limits near Mount Cavalry Cemetery ($1,886,000). Letting date June 17, 2025.

The Indian Creek and Dry Run Creek Trunk Sanitary Sewer consists of approximately 16 miles of sanitary sewer ranging in size from 18-inches to 48-inches in diameter. The trunk sewer is multi-jurisdictional serving Linn County and the cities of Cedar Rapids, Marion, Hiawatha and Robins. The new sanitary sewer will provide additional capacity to accommodate present needs and future growth.  The sanitary sewer will be constructed in multiple phases over a period of 15 plus years.

In 2016, City Council approved the 28E Agreement with Cedar Rapids, Hiawatha, Robins, and Linn County. City Council approved a contract with Veenstra & Kimm, Inc. for engineering design services.

The Segment 7 project will upsize the trunk sewer to 60” in diameter from approximately the Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Cedar Rapids, to just west of Menards in Marion. 

The Segment 11 project starts at Willow Park and goes north westerly to approximately the first Dry Creek crossing 1,200LF west of Parkview Drive.

Tower Terrace Road will provide another major east-west arterial route across the northern portion of the Cedar Rapids metro area, connecting Interstate 380 to Iowa 13.

Tower Terrace Road, from C Ave. to Alburnett Road, is a critical connector that runs east to west. Ultimately, the project will connect to elements that stretch from Interstate 380 at Hiawatha and Cedar Rapids to Highway 13 on the east side of Marion. Tower Terrace Road stands to become an important commercial corridor that will promote sustainable development and help the surrounding communities become stronger.

Planners for Linn County and four surrounding communities—including Cedar Rapids and Marion—laid the groundwork for the project decades ago. Tower Terrace Road is designed to serve as a crosstown route that provides access to an area with a projected population grown of 40,000 by the year 2040.

For an up-to-date schedule, current design and additional information regarding Tower Terrace Road between C Avenue and Alburnett Road, please visit the Tower Terrace Road webpage.

Tower Terrace Road Design Concept Report