Streetscape Project moves to 200 block of East 2nd Street

[City of Muscatine photo]

With the Mulberry Avenue and 2nd Street Roundabout along with the intersection of 2nd and Cedar streets open to traffic, the focus of construction activity in Downtown Muscatine is in the 200 block of East 2nd Street where the second stage of the 2nd Street Streetscape Project is underway.

Along with the opening of the roundabout and the Cedar Street intersection Monday evening came the removal of the detour around the construction sites.

Only one construction detour remains in Downtown Muscatine as the eastbound lane of the 200 block of East 2nd Street is closed with traffic diverted south on Sycamore to Mississippi Drive.

Westbound traffic will be permitted through the construction area and parking will be permitted on the north side of the street. The lane restrictions will be reversed once work begins on the north side of the street, which is tentatively scheduled to begin in late August.

There will still be some activity in the roundabout area as landscaping is completed and items on the post-construction punch list are addressed. However, the City does not anticipate closing any portion of the roundabout for any extended periods of time as these items are addressed. There is also landscaping and brickwork to be completed at the Cedar Street intersection but those will be completed under traffic.

The second stage of the six stage 2nd Street Streetscape Project began Tuesday, July 28, in the 200 block of East 2nd Street as KE Flatwork, Inc., began to remove sidewalk and Muscatine Power & Water removed light poles that will be relocated to the 300 block of East 2nd Street. The final five stages of the Streetscape Project will include replacing the curb, gutter, and sidewalks on both sides of the street along with some full depth patching in the driving lanes from Cedar to Pine and from Walnut to the Roundabout.

The second stage also includes the reconstruction of the intersection of 2nd and Sycamore streets to match the work completed at the 2nd and Cedar intersection. The intersection work is tentatively scheduled to begin after sidewalk replacement in the 200 block of East 2nd Street is completed. The south side of the street (river side) will be replaced first with each side expected to take three to four weeks to complete. The north side (city side) is tentatively scheduled to begin on August 24 but all dates are dependent on the weather.

The contractor and City project managers meet with business owners and other interested individuals at 9 a.m. every Thursday to provide an update on the work, and to answer any questions that the business owners might have.

Since the contract with the City does not allow work to continue past October 1 in each year of the two-year project, work on the Sycamore Street and 2nd Street intersection may be postponed until the start of the 2021 construction season. The contractor indicated that, depending on available time, replacement of the curb, gutter, and sidewalks in the 100 block of East 2nd Street may occur before the intersection work.

All dates are tentative and dependent on weather conditions or other unforeseen circumstances. Drivers are urged to use caution when proceeding in or around construction areas and to find alternate routes of travel when possible.

Linn Street Closure

Muscatine Power & Water (MPW) will be continuing underground work as part of the Mississippi Driver Corridor Reconstruction Project by closing Linn Street sometime between July 13 and August 17 from Mississippi Drive to the #1 Alley along with a portion of the #1 alley. Sections of Mississippi Drive will have lane restrictions at different times with flaggers present as MPW will be moving the overhead 69kV power lines underground.

An additional project to be conducted later this year will be the removal of the power poles on the river side of Mississippi Drive from the bluff upriver to HNI, providing an unrestricted view of the Mississippi River from the Downtown Muscatine Business District. This was also part of the Mississippi Drive Corridor Reconstruction Project.

All dates are tentative and dependent on weather conditions or other unforeseen circumstances. Drivers are urged to use caution when proceeding in or around construction areas and to find alternate routes of travel when possible.

— City of Muscatine

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