Site work and paving for a mixed-use development in Sioux City, Iowa. Conceptual plans call for site work for a road / highway; for paving for a road / highway; sidewalk / parking lot; and sidewalk / parking lot.

https://siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/gordon-drive-viaduct-idot-highway-plan/article_61cd5446-0a2d-11ee-aec5-c7f9c057ca2e.html SIOUX CITY -- Two major road construction projects in and near Sioux City have been included for the first time in Iowa's five-year transportation improvement plan. Acquisition of right of way for a new Gordon Drive viaduct is slated to begin in 2027, and construction is to begin the following year of the project, which includes replacement of the city's Bacon Creek drainage conduit beneath a portion of the same area. Construction of a new Interstate 29 interchange near Sioux City's Southbridge industrial area is scheduled to begin in 2026. Gordon Drive Viaduct Traffic passes over Sioux City's Gordon Drive viaduct. Replacement of the busy downtown bridge has been included in the 2024-28 Iowa Transport… Both projects are part of the 2024-28 highway plan approved Tuesday by the Iowa Transportation Commission. Inclusion in the plan gives the Iowa Department of Transportation a firmer deadline to finalize designs in advance of letting the projects for construction bids. "Once it's in the program, the clock's ticking," said Dakin Schultz, IDOT District 3 transportation planner. The IDOT and city of Sioux City continue to work on preliminary engineering studies in the Gordon Drive viaduct and Bacon Creek conduit corridors. The IDOT has taken the lead in designing the entire project. Viaduct replacement is estimated at $118 million-$144 million, and the conduit is estimated at $25 million-$34 million. The 3,970-foot-long viaduct, built in 1937 and improved in 1963 and 1966, will be replaced with a 98-foot-wide wide viaduct. Yet to be determined is whether the new viaduct will be located directly to the south of the current one or if the current viaduct will be demolished and rebuilt in the same location. At the same time, contractors will replace two arms of the Bacon Creek conduit, a portion of which was built in 1909, that run beneath Correctionville Road and Gordon Drive. The state has $26.4 million allocated for right of way acquisition. The number of property owners who will be affected by the viaduct and conduit projects will depend on the final viaduct alignment. "We have a good idea on the impact," Schultz said. The viaduct, which carries 20,000 vehicles daily, is in need of replacement, rather than simply adding on to it as in past improvements, the IDOT has said. The highway plan has $2.2 million allocated for viaduct rehabilitation in 2024 to make sure it lasts until it's replaced. The project also will require some realignment of the Gordon Drive/Lewis Boulevard interchange. The east end of the Bacon Creek conduit that carries storm water into the Floyd Channel is shown along South Rustin Street between Gordon Drive and Correctionville Road Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021. If the city received funds from the recently signed federal infrastructure bill, the money could be spent on the city's share of replacing the conduit as part of an IDOT Gordon Drive replacement project. The century-old Bacon Creek conduit, which runs 2,542 feet from Rustin Street beneath Gordon Drive and Lewis Boulevard before flowing into the former Floyd River channel and into the Missouri River, has concrete erosion and exposed steel reinforcement bars. The city will pay for the conduit replacement, utility relocation and other costs. Dave Carney, the city's public works director, said the city's cost share has yet to be determined, and the city will seek federal grant funding to help defray costs. In the meantime, engineers are determining the final conduit alignment. "It's good to see that it's moving along," Carney said. Sioux City Journal reporter Nick Hytrek talks about the Bacon Creek Conduit, an underground waterway that is being considered for replacement at the same time as a possible replacement of the Gordon Drive Viaduct. The addition of the Southbridge I-29 interchange to the state's highway plan came as no surprise, but it's a welcome sight to see it in the books and scheduled for construction. "There's a lot that still has to be determined as far as the design process," Woodbury County engineer Mark Nahra said. "This is going to step right along." The interchange will be located near 235th Street, between the Port Neal and airport interchanges at mile markers 135 and 141, respectively, and will connect with Old Highway 75 on the east side of I-29 and Port Neal Road on the west. Engineers continue to develop a final design for the interchange, estimated to cost $30 million. It will provide easier access for trucks and other heavy equipment traveling to and from industries in the 3,000-acre Southbridge area, located south of Sioux Gateway Airport. Local officials have pushed for the interchange for nearly two decades, saying it will facilitate development in the area. The IDOT will design and oversee construction of the interchange, and Woodbury County will pay for it. County finance director Dennis Butler said the county is seeking state and federal grants for the project. Tax increment financing, or TIF, funds from a county TIF district already in place in the interchange area will pay the remainder of the cost. Other major projects included in the highway plan are a bridge replacement and grading and paving of the I-29 interchange at Sloan. Construction of the $13.7 million project is scheduled for 2024. Reconstruction of the southbound lanes of U.S. Highway 75 between Hinton and Merrill at a cost of $30.7 million is set for 2025. The northbound lanes in the same section are currently under construction. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ This project supports new economic activity and redevelopment of the Gordon Drive/ Interstate 29 area through the creation of new commercial, retail, recreational and mixed-use development. This entryway area is undergoing transformation due to the major reconstruction of Interstate 29 throughout the downtown area, including the relocation of several entry and exit ramps and new access points to the Downtown and Riverfront. This area is a major entryway into downtown Sioux City, is part of an EPA technical assistance planning project and was identified as a major focus area as part of the City's new Comprehensive Plan. Opportunities are also being created by transition of the area from former industrial uses and the potential re-use of excess DOT ROW following completion of the I-29 reconstruction project. The project also builds on and complements efforts underway to impact the area as part of the Sioux City Reinvestment District, with recent redevelopments on Virginia Street and in the Yards area. It is also located near and will support the City's planned new Riverfront Park. Funds from this project will be used to work with developers to acquire and assemble available redevelopment sites to implement the plan. Some sites may also be used for green space areas and other amenities. This project is included in the fy 2024-2028 Capital Improvement Program. As of May 18, 2023, further details regarding design and construction timelines have not been identified. *Project information has been obtained through a public capital improvement plan (CIP). A CIP is a financial schedule for short- and long-range projects which is updated regularly. Information listed in the CIP often evolves based on funding availability and the project details, including timeline and value, are subject to change. The content management team will continue to pursue additional details as they become available. As of August 22, 2023, no new info available