Northwest Arterial Improvement Project begins Monday, June 6

Pennsylvania Ave. Intersection Reconstruction Requires 4-Week Closure

The Northwest Arterial State of Good Repair Project will begin on Monday, June 6. The nearly $9 million, multi-phased project is a partnership between the City of Dubuque and the Iowa Department of Transportation and includes major pavement reconstruction and rehabilitation of the arterial roadway from US20 (Dodge St.) to John F. Kennedy Rd. 

The project includes reconstruction of both the arterial’s Pennsylvania Ave. and Asbury Rd. intersections; milling, repaving, and adding a four-foot shoulder to the southbound arterial lanes; and total reconstruction of the northbound arterial lanes. 

“The Northwest Arterial carries approximately 25,000 vehicle per day so the work will be conducted in phases so we can maintain as much of that capacity as possible,” said Assistant City Engineer Bob Schiesl.  “However, this project and the related closures and detours will create some short-term inconveniences.  We encourage motorists to be patient and consider alternative routes while this work is under way.”

Phase 1 will begin on Monday, June 6, with the reconstruction of the Pennsylvania Ave. intersection. First, the western half of the intersection will be closed for approximately two weeks. Northwest Arterial southbound traffic through the intersection will be maintained but there will be no righthand turns onto westbound Pennsylvania Ave. and the left turn lane onto eastbound Pennsylvania will be closed. 

A posted detour will reroute Pennsylvania Ave. eastbound traffic west of the arterial to Heacock Rd. to Asbury Rd. to John F Kennedy Rd. Westbound traffic on Pennsylvania Ave. east of the arterial will be detoured north on the Northwest Arterial to Asbury Rd. to Radford Rd. 

There will be no left turns from Pennsylvania Ave. onto the Northwest Arterial. Westbound motorists on Pennsylvania Ave. seeking to travel southbound on the Northwest Arterial will be detoured north on the arterial to Asbury Rd. to Radford Rd. to Chavenelle Rd. 

Motorists on the Northwest Arterial seeking to travel westbound on Pennsylvania Ave. will be rerouted to Chavenelle Rd. or Asbury Rd. Residents and businesses on the detour routes should prepare for increased traffic during the closure. 

After the western half of the Pennsylvania Ave. intersection re-opens, the eastern half will be closed for approximately an additional two weeks. Those detour details will be shared closer to the closure. The schedule is weather-dependent but is expected to take a total of four weeks.

After reconstruction of the Pennsylvania Ave. intersection is complete, reconstruction of the Asbury Rd. intersection will begin. Additional details and detour information will be shared closer to the estimated start date of Tuesday, July 5.  Schiesl said the goal is to have both intersections completed and fully operational before school resumes in August.
Following reconstruction of both intersections, the southbound arterial lanes will be milled and repaved with asphalt and new four-foot-wide shoulders will be added.  To maintain traffic capacity during peak hours, this work will be conducted at night (7 p.m. to 7 a.m.) and is expected to be completed in November.

The reconstruction of the arterial’s northbound lanes will be conducted during the 2023 construction season.  Additional details will be available next spring, but that work will require temporarily shifting all traffic to the southbound lanes. 

The total project cost is approximately $9.2 million, the majority of which will be paid for through state funds and grants including $4.8 million in Dubuque Metropolitan Area Transportation Study Surface Transportation Program SWAP funds, $4.2 million from the Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT), and a $105,000 Iowa DOT Traffic Safety Improvement Program grant. In addition, $75,000 in city funds will be used to extend the left-turn lane at John F. Kennedy Rd.

For project details, including the detour route/map, visit www.cityofdubuque.org/nwarterial.  To receive email and/or text message updates on the project and related traffic impacts, visit www.cityofdubuque.org/nwarterialupdates. 

If you have questions regarding the closure/detour, please contact the City of Dubuque Engineering Department at 563.589.4270. Please note: closure dates/times are estimates and are subject to change without notification based on weather and contractor schedules.