More Fleur Drive construction starts around Des Moines International Airport

DES MOINES, Iowa — After a couple years of heavy construction work on Fleur Drive, the project nears the end. But for the next six weeks drivers and fliers in Des Moines can expect a bit of backup around the airport.

“The ultimate completion date is in September,” said Steve Naber, city engineer with Des Moines. “But the contractors out there are currently working in the northbound lanes repairing sections of curb and gutter that need replacement so they have to do that section at a time. Fleur Drive carries over 30,000 vehicles a day.”

This work is rehabilitation work, so it is not the full facelift Fleur Drive had last year around Hy-Vee. But from McKinley Avenue to Army Post Road the construction will be noticeable until the end of the summer, as there will be one lane traffic some days as it needs to be repaved.

Next year there will be similar work done to the road around Gray’s Lake. When that is complete the construction on Fleur will be done for a while, with the city having put $23 million on those repairs alone.

Businesses along Fleur have been dealing with construction traffic for the last several years and one local golf shop is ready to see the new pavement.

“So this is probably the worst part of Fleur and the construction of the city has been great to us, but we need to get this done and get it fixed because it’s, you know, kind of the first thing people see when they come out of the airport, especially people visiting,” said Ray Kinley, with Kinley’s Golf Sales. ” And here’s the thing with the construction, it kind of limits our hours because Fleur’s so busy that once they get into that 4:30 traffic, part of the reason we close early is the fact that when they get it down to one lane on each side, you have to be lucky to have somebody be nice enough to let you back out into the traffic.”

The Des Moines International Airport has an advisory on its website, letting travelers know it is best to get there earlier than usual for a flight as the construction will vary day to day.

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