Iowa River Trail

Iowa River Trail: Rocky Shore Drive to Clear Creek

The Iowa River Trail is being constructed from Rocky Shore Drive to Clear Creek. This project includes two prefabricated steel truss bridges over Clear Creek and a 10-foot-wide concrete trail from Rocky Shore Drive to connect to the Iowa River Trail on the north side of Clear Creek.

Timeline

Start: Site preparation began in October 2020
Estimated completion: A majority of the project, including bridge placement and trail paving, is scheduled for completion by July 1, 2021

Cost

Bid by the Iowa DOT on August 18, 2020
Low bid: Peterson Contractors, Inc., at $1,250,395.65
Funding: The project received $619,000 of DOT Surface Transportation Program funds with the balance funded by the City

Construction Updates

Bridge Installation

The two prefabricated 90' bridge sections were transported from Colfax, WI to Coralville on February 2
On February 3, the two bridge sections were placed on site, spanning Clear Creek

Recent progress (March 29-April 9, 2021):

Bridge cleaning (power wash existing pier)
Structural concrete coating on abutments
Removed remaining required pavement on north, prepped subgrade
Subgrade prep on south, density and moisture test on north for pavement
Formed and poured concrete on the bridge approach and Clear Creek Trail segment
Set forms for trail pour on north
Poured trail segment on north of bridge; started installing veneer

Previous progress:
January 2012:

Finished the south retaining wall to wrap up the structural work until the bridges arrive in early February
Poured south abutment backwall and columns
Poured north retaining wall cap
Rebar/formwork/pour on south retaining wall cap
Abutment wingwall rebar and formwork
Finished drainage culverts on north and south of existing retaining wall, poured north abutment backwall and columns, placed rebar for south abutment backwall and columns, placed rebar for north retaining wall cap and formwork, and placed a portion of macadam stone slope protection at abutments.

Piles for the north abutment were driven on December 18. The north abutment was poured on December 23.

The south abutment was poured on December 16; forms were stripped December 21.

*Updated April 14, 2021

Closures & Detour

Trail segment closures
Two trail segments are temporarily closed from December 16, 2020 until late June 2021:

Clear Creek Trail from 1st Avenue east to the Iowa River Trail.
Iowa River Trail from Clear Creek to 400 feet south of the Iowa River Pedestrian Bridge.

Detour route
The detour route uses the sidewalk along the east side of 1st Avenue between 5th Street and Clear Creek. The Clear Creek Trail underpass of 1st Avenue and the Iowa River Pedestrian Bridge connection to the Peninsula Neighborhood in Iowa City remain open.