Seminole Valley Road -Cedar Rapids, IA

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Seminole Valley Road was in rough shape from a drivability standpoint. It was a mostly rural road with curves that didn’t give drivers enough sight distance. Being the only access for the developing area stretched the road’s capacity. High vehicle speeds and the narrow corridor made it unsafe for pedestrians to use. In addition, the existing water and sewer utilities were not equipped for handling future development in the area.

As part of its “Complete Streets” initiative, the City of Cedar Rapids wanted to reconstruct Seminole Valley Road to an urban road with bike lanes and sidewalks on both sides. However, homeowners were unhappy with the assessments they received and questioned the need for all of the improvements.

By holding a number of public meetings, Shive-Hattery gained insight into what homeowners wanted to see in their neighborhood. A balance was struck that would upgrade the road and improve safety for pedestrians without a high cost to residents.

The south end of Seminole Valley Road, which was rural, was widened to allow for six-foot paved shoulders that bikes and pedestrians can use. In addition to the widening, the road was overlaid to add to the structural integrity of the pavement and increase the service life. In the middle section, which was already an urban road, sidewalks and a five-and-a-half-foot bike lane were added to each side. The north end, from Cottage Hill Lane to 42nd Street, was fully reconstructed due to the “S” curve near Cottage Hill Lane; lowering the road eight feet improved sight distance and therefore safety for drivers. North of the “S” curve was also reconstructed due to the extensive deterioration of the road.

A temporary road was constructed on Pathfinder Outdoor Education Center land to ensure homeowners still had an access road during construction. Sanitary work on the south end upgraded and upsized the sanitary sewer to handle the needs of future development. The water main also was upgraded and upsized to adequately accommodate the nearby homeowners and increase service life. Also as part of the project, full-depth concrete panel replacements and grinding/profiling was done on 42nd Street from Seminole Valley Road to Edgewood Road to provide a smoother ride for drivers.

A mostly rural road that was unsafe for pedestrians to use has a new smooth asphalt surface and wide shoulders and sidewalks. There will also be more capacity for future development with the upgraded water and sewer utilities. All of these improvements will help make Seminole Valley Road better fit for handling its current and future traffic flow.