Douglas Avenue closure and detour in effect in Urbandale for stormwater improvements

A stretch of Douglas Avenue near Merle Hay Mall in Urbandale will be closed to traffic for 75 days starting Monday.

The 6300 block of Douglas Avenue closed on Monday, July 8, and is expected to stay closed until late September, according to the city of Urbandale.

There's a detour route using 70th Street, Aurora Avenue and Merle Hay Road. Adjacent businesses will continue to be accessible and 64th Street will remain open, according to the city.

The reason for the closure is the city's installation of better stormwater infrastructure between Rocklyn Creek and Merle Hay Mall. That means a box culvert — "a large, rectangular drainage structure that helps channel stormwater effectively," according to a city news release — is being installed from 6350 Douglas Avenue to the east end of Airline Avenue, as well as a connection to the east end of Madison Avenue.

The new culvert will allow for future stormwater improvements upstream and allow storm sewer and intakes to be extended into neighborhoods west of Merle Hay Mall.

Phillip Sitter covers the western suburbs for the Des Moines Register. Phillip can be reached via email at psitter@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @pslifeisabeauty.