DUBUQUE COUNTY, IOWA – The U.S.
Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced nearly $25 million in overall
grant funding for the cities of Dubuque, Muscatine and Waterloo to help
complete roadway, bridge, wastewater management and other related projects. The
grant
program was continued in
the bipartisan infrastructure law supported by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa),
which is now directly
benefiting and
improving communities across Iowa.
“After urging USDOT to support funding
for these infrastructure projects, I’m glad these communities have officially
been awarded the grants needed to begin construction. These updates and
improvements will benefit Iowans in Dubuque, Muscatine and Waterloo for decades
to come. I supported the bipartisan infrastructure law to invest in Iowans and
Iowa’s economy and ensure more of Iowans’ hard-earned tax dollars come back to
our state. I’m glad to see our state is continuing to benefit from this
investment,” Grassley said.
The following projects in Iowa will
receive an overall total of roughly $24.8 million in grant funding:
- Dubuque – $2.28 million for a new overpass: This planning project will design and engineer
a vehicular/pedestrian overpass at the 14th Street railroad grade, with street
enhancements for an approximately 3,044-foot section of the 16th Street
corridor and an approximately 2,880-foot section of the Elm Street corridor,
with a new pedestrian/bike shared-use path to the Kerper Boulevard Industrial
Park and Chaplain Schmitt Island.
- Muscatine – $2 million for Isett Avenue and
Cypress Street reconstruction: This planning
project includes a full traffic study, environmental assessment, brownfield
assessment, public involvement process, topographical survey, right of way
determination, design and full construction plans for the Isett Avenue/Cypress
Street Corridor in Muscatine. Potential improvements to the corridor could
include four-to-three-lane conversion, three new roundabouts, bridge repair and
raising, addition of sidewalks, extension of a multi-use trail, improved
storm-water management, sanitary sewer and water main replacement and
landscaping.
- Waterloo – $20.5 million for La Porte Road
revitalization: The project will
make improvements on approximately 2.7 miles of La Porte Road. The project will
add sidewalks, bicycle trails, lighting, transit benches and platforms and a
bus shelter to the corridor. The project will also reconfigure the corridor to
eliminate certain travel lanes, create a separated bicycle and pedestrian path,
and add turn lanes in select locations throughout the corridor.
Funding from the bipartisan
infrastructure law has already been approved for many other projects across the
state. Last month, USDOT announced
five airports in Iowa will receive $27 million in overall grant funding under the fiscal
year 2022 Airport Terminal Program, which was created by the bipartisan
infrastructure law.
Earlier this year, the Lewis & Clark
Regional Water System – which is responsible for providing rural water to
northwest Iowa communities like Rock Rapids, Hull and Sioux Center – received
$75.5 million from the infrastructure bill. Project leaders plan to use this
investment to finish 17 miles of pipeline, construct two meter buildings and
build a new pump station. On the other side of the state, the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers announced an
$829.1 million investment in lock and dam modernization projects along the upper
Mississippi River – one of Iowa’s top five infrastructure improvement
priorities.
Additionally, with funding from the
bipartisan infrastructure bill, the Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT)
has updated its five-year plan to include many other
road and bridge improvement projects. These are only a few examples of many
similar projects across Iowa that now have much-needed funding to finish the
job due to the bipartisan infrastructure law.
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