West Des Moines council adopts 2C preliminary design for Ashworth Road after months of debate

The West Des Moines City Council voted 4-1 Jan. 6 to adopt preliminary design option 2C for Ashworth Road between Nineteenth Street and 20 Second Street, a compromise that engineers and residents said balances safety, cost and right‑of‑way impacts.

City Engineer Brian Hemesath and consultants from Shive Hattery and Engineering Services presented five design families at Monday’s meeting and at earlier public information sessions. Option 2C uses 11‑foot outside lanes with a 1‑foot curb offset, an 11‑foot inside lane (12‑foot two‑way left‑turn lane in the center in the corridor), a 4‑foot lane shift at key intersections and 7.5‑foot parking stalls. City staff said the plan would reduce total right‑of‑way acquisition to about 8,400 square feet and affect nine adjacent properties, compared with larger takings under the straight‑lane alternative.

“It was a very long…