News Story

DES MOINES, IOWA – Thursday, March 11, 2021 – Fleur Drive has seen its fair share of construction work throughout the years, and the City of Des Moines is moving forward with new fixes that will last longer. When completed, this $20 million project will completely reshape one of the most heavily used corridors in the City.

Fleur Drive carries approximately 30,000 vehicles per day. With the heavy traffic and age of the road, resurfacing is no longer a viable option for repairs. The current plan, staged in three separate phases, will completely reconstruct the roads, add sidewalks along both sides to improve pedestrian access, and replace storm sewer and water main facilities to address flooding in the area.

“We appreciate everyone’s patience during construction on Fleur Drive,” City Engineer Steve Naber said. “This is a very important corridor to our City. Doing a full reconstruction ensures Fleur Drive will be more accessible and sustain a long life going forward.”

This reconstruction project is planned over five years. With Phase 1 of the project already completed, the two other phases follow this timeline:

• Phase 2: Construction on the Fleur Drive Southbound lanes from Watrous Avenue to George Flagg Parkway - Spring 2021 to Fall 2022
• Phase 3: Construction on the Fleur Drive Northbound and Southbound lanes from McKinley Avenue to Watrous Avenue - Spring 2022 to Summer 2024