Iowa City begins planning study to replace Burlington Street bridges, weigh dam modification

Iowa City officials opened a public planning meeting Oct. 12 to gather input on a study that would replace the eastbound and westbound Burlington Street bridges with a single bridge and evaluate multimodal improvements and the possible modification or removal of the Burlington Street (Iowa River) dam.

"We are in a very, very, very early stage of this project," said Kristen Veldhouse, meeting facilitator, explaining the session was meant to collect public feedback before concept design begins. Justin Harlan, senior engineer for the City of Iowa City, said the project is city-led and includes the Iowa Department of Transportation and the University of Iowa as stakeholders.

The planning study boundary runs roughly from the field house to the Crandick Railroad tracks. Study topics announced at the meeting include replacing the two vehicular bridges with one structure, evaluating repair or replacement of pedestrian bridges, converting Melrose and Byington to two-way traffic, geometric and multimodal improvements to roadways and intersections within the limits, and assessing options for the Burlington Street Dam.

Why it matters: the corridor provides a key connection used by emergency vehicles, hospital traffic, students, transit (Iowa City Transit and Cambus), bicyclists and pedestrians. Traffic data cited at the meeting show an annual average daily traffic volume just over 22,000 vehicles on the corridor. Presenters said the Burlington Street/Riverside intersection ranks among the top 15 metro intersections for crashes, and the existing river overpass carries about 1,600 pedestrians per day but is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Presenters described multimodal and safety concerns for cyclists and pedestrians. Mindy, the project bike-and-pedestrian presenter, summarized application of national bicycle and pedestrian "level of traffic stress" methods and said much of the corridor registers as moderate- to high-stress for bicyclists. She also said an on-site stakeholder working group adjusted the stress mapping upward in locations where shared trails and proximity to vehicle traffic make movement feel more hazardous than the methodology alone would indicate.

Environmental and regulatory considerations were raised in questions. Project staff said they will pursue "all the normal permits through the DNR" and other environmental permits and aim to design options that achieve a hydraulic "no rise" in water surface elevation where possible. Mike Curic and other presenters noted the Burlington Street Dam catches debris, poses safety issues, is not passable for fish or watercraft, and currently provides pool head used by the municipal water plant and a power plant and contributes to flood mitigation; all of those functions will be considered while evaluating modification or removal.

Consultants referenced past regional work on partial dam removals and said teams experienced with river hydraulics and recreation would evaluate impacts upstream and downstream, including fish passage, pool elevation, flood management and recreational access. The team named McLaughlin Whitewater and cited experience on the Des Moines Water Trails project as relevant precedent.

Residents and Zoom participants asked about construction impacts and detours, saying nearby Iowa Avenue narrows under the railroad and could be a bottleneck during construction. Presenters said construction staging options depend on final bridge type and phasing; they acknowledged detours and transit routing would be evaluated and that partnering with transit agencies to reduce disruption is being discussed. A representative of the Stanley Museum of Art asked about building access and flooding during construction; presenters said facility-specific stakeholder meetings are under way to address deliveries, visitor access and operations during construction.

Timeline presented: the planning study will continue through the end of 2025; the team expects to advance concepts next month, return in a public meeting in spring/summer 2026 with concepts for feedback, then complete the planning study and advance a preferred concept into design. Presenters estimated design could take about two years and construction would follow, but emphasized the schedule depends on selected concepts, environmental review and funding. Public outreach will continue, with a survey and boards available to collect input; Justin Harlan was listed as the primary contact for follow-up.

No formal actions or votes were taken at the meeting. The session closed with presenters asking attendees to complete a survey and noting another public meeting will present concept alternatives.

Ending: The project team said it will use public feedback to shape concept development and return with design alternatives in the spring/summer public meeting; staff encouraged residents, campus groups and stakeholders, including the rowing team and museum staff, to provide additional technical information to inform environmental and operational assessments.