An update on summer road projects

A wetter-than-average summer has been good for lawns, golf courses and corn; not so good for road construction. Several projects on key entry roads to campus were impacted by repeated weather delays. The project to replace the University Boulevard-Sixth Street intersection on the east side of campus, including new traffic lights and bus stop, wrapped up earlier this month.

Inside asked city and campus project managers for updates on several other projects on, or adjacent to, campus.

Roads

South 16th Street, in front of the Veterinary Medicine campus

• All lanes of the road are scheduled to reopen on Friday, Aug. 22.
• Next week, the contractor will begin grass seeding in areas adjacent to the road, and city of Ames electric crews will install streetlights. Neither activity will impact vehicle traffic.
• Phase 2, west to the University Boulevard intersection, is scheduled for summer 2026.

Stange Road, between 13th Street and Veenker Drive

• Two-way traffic will open late Sunday evening, Aug. 24, initially a single lane in each direction.
• During the next week, the concrete crew will pour the entrance and approach to Veenker golf course (two necessary 3-hour shutdowns of the southbound traffic lane will be scheduled during non-business hours).
• Work then shifts to sidewalks, storm sewer inlets and street lights, and two-way traffic will move to the two center lanes.
• Four lanes should open to traffic in late September.

Welch Avenue, from Chamberlain to Knapp streets

• The intersection of Welch Avenue and Chamberlain Street will reopen on Monday, Aug. 25.
• The rest of the roadway, south to Knapp Street, is scheduled to open by Friday, Sept. 5, prior to the Iowa vs Iowa State football game.
• Minor activities such as sidewalk replacement, grass seeding and streetlight installation will continue outside the roadway the week of Sept. 8.

Hyland Avenue

• Phase 1, from Ontario Street to just north of the Unitarian Universalist worship center (1015 Hyland Ave.), will wrap up the first or second week of September. The roadway is poured; work remains on street intersections, driveway approaches and a shared-use path on the west side of the road.
• During phases 2 and 3, from the worship center entrance to just south of Pammel Drive, Hyland will be open to through traffic. A temporary traffic signal will control alternating northbound and southbound traffic in this section of the road, first using the northbound lane (phase 2), then the southbound lane (phase 3). Access to Pammel Drive will close during phases 2 and 3, each anticipated to last about five weeks.
• In its original timeline, this project was going to spill into early fall semester.

Parking lots

Reserved lot 8, north of Black Engineering Building

• Paving is scheduled to occur over the weekend (Aug. 23-24).
• Stall striping and other finishing work is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 25 (building entrances will be accessible).
• Anticipated first use for parking is Tuesday, Aug. 26.

Reserved lot 36, west of Science II Hall

• Underground water main replacement was completed Tuesday, Aug. 19. Soil backfilling and grading is underway, with parking lot and sidewalk paving to follow.
• Anticipated first-use date for parking is Monday, Sept. 15.