From Des Moines River flood mitigation to new trail connections, Iowa's capital city has multiple long-term, high-dollar infrastructure and renovation projects on the horizon.
Capital improvement projects are major expenditures that involve the construction and renovation of city-owned buildings and infrastructure. These projects have a minimum life of 10 years, cost at least $10,000 and are funded fully or in part through means such as bonds or federal or state funds.
Des Moines' CIP budget for fiscal year 2025, which starts July 1, totals $215.6 million. Des Moines' CIP budget typically includes a five-year outlook, which includes projects totaling $975 million.
According to the city's engineering department, here are the top seven projects you should be on the lookout for through 2028:
University Avenue improvements
The city is converting University Avenue from 39th Street to 48th Street into a three-lane road with painted on-street bike lanes.
The work is part of a larger effort that started in 2019 to improve safety and accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists on University from 63rd Street toward downtown, according to the city.
The stretch from 39th to the west of 48th, as well as on 42nd Street from Crocker Street to University Avenue, will be resurfaced. Upgrades on University will include:
- Sidewalk ramps at intersections following ADA guidelines
- Replacing storm sewer near the University and 39th Street intersection to increase stormwater runoff capacity
- Installing a 10-foot-wide trail along University with off-street, raised bicycle lanes between 41st Street and 42nd Street that will have a 2- to 3-foot buffer from the curb. A similar concept will be built between 47th and 48th streets.
- Installing pedestrian crossings along University with medians where people will be able to pause as they cross the road. Locations include between 39th and 40th streets, 41st and 42nd streets and 45th and 46th streets.
Estimated cost — $4.3 million
Expected completion — spring 2025
Des Moines River alterations
The city is raising the levee system along the Des Moines River from the confluence of the River Racoon River to Southeast 14th Street.
The eight-phase project is part of the city’s flood mitigation program which seeks to mitigate flood risk and meet FEMA accreditation requirements for the downtown levees, according to the city.
Other improvements in this phase will include modifications to gatewells, structures in drainage pipes along the river that close once water levels rise, which stops water from backflowing into storm drains and flooding downtown; storm sewer replacement; and construction of seepage relief trenches, a shallow trench filled with permeable materials like gravel to redirect groundwater away from an area.
Estimated cost — $17.4 million
Expected completion — spring 2025
Second Avenue reconstruction
The city is revamping Second Avenue from University Avenue to the Des Moines River as part of a larger effort to upgrade infrastructure and make safety improvements along the corridor.
The city already replaced the aging Second Avenue Bridge and rehabilitated the Des Moines River Bridge. The next step in the process from University Avenue to the river will include pavement reconstruction, widening the roadway, adding left turn lanes, new storm sewers and 5-foot wide sidewalks on both sides of the road.
The city also will add a traffic signal at Second and Franklin avenues to make way for a new trail along the Central Place levee to the south and east of the intersection. Crews will bury overhead utilities along most of the corridor.
Estimated cost — $17.1 million
Expected completion — fall 2026
Southeast Connector
This is the last segment of a decades-long project that will fully connect Interstate 235 with Highway 65 via Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway. The project, which has been implemented in phases, is meant to improve transportation for the city of Des Moines and the greater metro area, according to the city.
The first piece was constructed from 1999 to 2005 when Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway was built between Interstate 235 and the Des Moines River on the west side of downtown. The next phase, built between 2006 and 2016, had Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway extend from the river east to Southeast 30th Street.
The final phase, which will be completed in two parts, will link to Highway 65. The first phase includes paving the roadway from Southeast 30th Street to Southeast 36th Street and grading between Southeast 36th Street and Pleasant Hill Boulevard. The second phase would pave Southeast 36th Street to Highway 65. It would include building a 1,515-foot-long bridge over Fourmile Creek.
Estimated cost — Not finalized
Expected completion — 2025 to 2028
East Army Post Road
East Army Post Road from Southeast 14th Street to Highway 65 is poised for a slate of improvements to make the corridor safer for vehicles and pedestrians, and spur development on the southeast side.
The improvements are based on a study that highlights safety concerns along the corridor including a high crash rate and speeding. According to the city, there have been three fatal crashes on the Army Post corridor since 2011. The study's recommendations include:
- Lowering the speed limit along the corridor by 5 mph. The current speed limit is 45 mph, which accelerates to 55 mph.
- Restricting future driveways and city streets to quarter-mile spacing.
- Reconstructing East Army Post Road from Southeast 14th Street to Indianola Road from two to three lanes, adding curbs and sidewalks. The road will have a traffic lane in either direction and a two-way center left turn lane.
- Adding a path for pedestrians and cyclists on the north side of the road.
- Adding additional turn lanes and roundabouts to intersections along the corridor.
Estimated cost — Not finalized
Expected completion — 2025 to 2028
Douglas Avenue
The Douglas Avenue corridor is getting a host of improvements from Merle Hay Road to Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway as part of a larger plan to improve vehicle and pedestrian safety and generate economic development.
The changes to the road, which was identified on the city's Vision Zero plan as a so-called high injury network or segments with the greatest crash risk — come following a pilot project completed in 2022 to examine the impact of reducing the corridor from four to three lanes.
Proposed upcoming fixes include sidewalk improvements, a paved path for pedestrians and cyclists along the north side of the road, and a new High-intensity Activated crossWalK (HAWK) pedestrian signal in the 2800 block. HAWKs are button-press beacons that flash red and yellow to alert drivers that a pedestrian is trying to cross the street at an intersection. The project also will include improvements at all intersections with traffic signals.
Estimated cost — Not finalized
Expected completion — 2027 to 2028
Merle Hay Road corridor
Des Moines is looking for ways to improve traffic flow and safety along Merle Hay Road amid major redevelopment along the corridor that includes a planned hockey arena, housing for elderly residents and more retail.
The city already completed a traffic study of the stretch of the Merle Hay corridor between Hickman Road and Aurora Avenue that looked into ways to combat long traffic delays, a history of crashes, and insufficient pedestrian and bicycle accessibility.
Some of the solutions proposed by the study include:
- Filling sidewalk gaps and having a larger separation between sidewalks and car lanes.
- Having dedicated turn lanes to reduce traffic.
- Consolidating driveways along the corridor to improve safety for both cars and pedestrians.
The city also held a meeting with nearby neighbors to talk about the study.
Estimated cost — Not determined
Expected completion — Not determined
Virginia Barreda is the Des Moines city government reporter for the Register. She can be reached at vbarreda@dmreg.com. Follow her on Twitter at @vbarreda2.
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