News Story

On Monday, October 23, the City of Des Moines City Council approved plans to reconstruct the 2nd Avenue Corridor. Totaling $17.5 million, the project includes installing a new storm sewer along the west side of 2nd Avenue as part of the River Bend and King Irving Sewer Separation project.

This project is the second phase of reconstructing the 2nd Avenue Corridor. Birdland Drive and the Birdland Drive Bridge were replaced last year, and the Second Avenue Bridge was also rehabilitated.

The project approved on Monday includes:

• Pavement Reconstruction: Full pavement reconstruction of a four-lane roadway with 11-foot-wide lanes, new curbs and gutters, and five-foot-wide sidewalks on both sides.
• Forest Avenue Realignment: Realignment of the east leg of Forest Avenue at the intersection of 2nd Avenue to align with the west portion of Forest Avenue at the intersection of 2nd Avenue.
• Clark Street Realignment: Realignment of the east portion of Forest Avenue at the intersection of 2nd Avenue to align with the west portion of Clark Street at the intersection of 2nd Avenue.
• Left-turn lanes at Select Intersections: Franklin Avenue, College Avenue, Clark Street, and Forest Avenue.
• Access Control Improvements: Eliminate and/or consolidate driveway accesses along the corridor to reduce the number of conflict points/turning movements.
• Storm Sewer Installation: A new storm sewer will be installed along the west side of 2nd Avenue from College Avenue to the Des Moines River.
• Water Main Replacement: Replacement of the existing water main under 2nd Avenue by Des Moines Water Works.

This project will begin in 2024 and is anticipated to be completed by 2026. Utility relocation work will begin this fall. Construction will be staged to keep one traffic lane open in each direction through the majority of the project.