Inside Iowa State

May 1, 2009

Road projects return this summer

by Anne Krapfl

Two campus road pavement projects this summer -- on Stange Road north of 13th Street and Welch Road and Union Drive by Friley Hall -- will create lane closures for drivers and temporarily alter several CyRide routes. Both projects involve removing the top asphalt layer, repairing damaged sections of the concrete below it and applying a new asphalt layer. Construction contracts will be awarded in early May, and firm schedules then will be set. Details will be shared in Inside Update e-mails as they become available this summer.

Stange Road

The Stange Road project will take place between the Squaw Creek bridge and Blankenburg Drive. This is in the vicinity of Veenker golf course and the Schilletter University Village neighborhood. The work is expected to take about four weeks and won't begin before late May, said facilities planning and management's Mike Parsons, construction manager for both road projects. The strategy will be to close both lanes in one direction to do the work, converting the remaining two lanes to two-way traffic, and repeat the process on the other half of the road.

The city of Ames will continue the pavement replacement:

• On Stange Road, from Blankenburg Drive to 24th Street
• On 24th Street, from Stange Road to the railroad spur line near the Northcrest Retirement Community
• The city's portion of the project tentatively is scheduled during July.

Union Drive

Welch Road and Union Drive will be repaired and resurfaced between Lincoln Way and Bissel Road. Work is expected to occur during July and will take approximately three weeks to complete. During work on northbound lanes, vehicle traffic will be detoured to Lincoln Way and Sheldon Avenue. A similar detour will occur during southbound lane work. Drivers will have access to parking lots and driveways along the street throughout most of the project. An exception will be two days at the end of the project, when the road is closed while the new asphalt layer is installed. Sidewalks along the road will be closed temporarily to accommodate work on storm water intakes and improvements to the crosswalks.

Effect on CyRide routes

CyRide routes and bus stop locations will be adjusted during each of the projects.

Lane closures and detours are scheduled during work on Welch Road, Union Drive and Stange Road this summer.