Iowa City is currently seeking bidders for the Gilbert Street bridge reconstruction, a project with an estimated start date of March 2024. The bridge, which crosses Ralston creek, was built in 1972 and is in need of replacement. Consultants hired by Iowa City found that the best solution was to replace the bridge altogether, due […]
Iowa City is currently seeking bidders for the Gilbert Street bridge reconstruction, a project with an estimated start date of March 2024. The bridge, which crosses Ralston creek, was built in 1972 and is in need of replacement. Consultants hired by Iowa City found that the best solution was to replace the bridge altogether, due to the nature of the wear-and-tear.“It doesn’t meet all the safety requirements,” said Tyler Olson, Iowa City civil engineer, at the Iowa City council’s Sept. 5 meeting. Currently, there is no barrier between vehicles and pedestrians on the bridge, and the sidewalks are not ADA compliant. Erosion, cracking and spalling are some of the issues on the bridge deck, though officials stress that the bridge is considered safe.
Future plans
The project includes the removal and replacement of the existing four-lane concrete bridge, with an addition of six-foot sidewalks on either side. Streambank stabilization will also occur upstream and downstream of the bridge. In addition, the storm sewer pipes will be increased from 15 inches to 30 inches to offer extra space in situations where rainfall causes water levels to exceed the curb, resulting in roadway ponding.To ease traffic flow, engineers will build a temporary driveway that connects Gilbert Street to Maiden Lane, allowing delivery vehicles to access the section of Gilbert Street between Court Street and the bridge. Bicycles have been a concern in regards to the construction process -- currently there is no plan to include bike lanes with the project, but they may be added as part of a future four-lane-to-three-lane conversion project. “One of the challenges with this section of Gilbert Street is that there are a lot of delivery vehicles, and we've seen some of those challenges play out on Clinton Street downtown,” said Geoff Fruin, city manager. “And that's one of the dynamics that deserves a little bit further conversation, because I think we should probably expect to see a number of loading zone, lack of loading zone, bicycle conflicts on Gilbert Street.”The estimated project cost is $3.2 million, up from last year’s $2.9 million estimate, an increase due to recent inflated construction costs. The Iowa DOT will partially fund the project, with a reimbursement of 80% of eligible funds up to $1 million.
ARTA findings
The Gilbert Street bridge project coincides with recent findings of the American Road and Transportation Association, which found that Iowa ranked No. 2 of the top ten states that had the most bridges in poor condition. In Iowa, the Gilbert Street bridge ranked as one of the top “Most Traveled Structurally Deficient Bridges” with daily crossings of 14,039 vehicles.
"In the case of the Gilbert Street bridge, we are moving forward with replacement and are confident the bridge is safe for traffic until it is removed as part of the project," said city engineer Jason Havel, in an email to the CBJ.
Currently, the state has identified needed repairs on 14,905 bridges, and 19% have been classified as structurally deficient – which means one of the key elements is in poor or worse condition.The Iowa DOT will hold its second bid letting for the bridge on Sept. 19 and will have a selection by Oct. 3. A previous bid letting was held with a start date of Spring 2023, but the city did not receive any bids, in part due to the construction schedule and planned six-day work week. The city has since adjusted the schedule to a five-day work week.The estimated beginning and completion dates will be March-November 2024.
