Veronica PiscitelliThe U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is awarding a $25 million federal grant to the city of Cedar Rapids in Iowa to boost its flood mitigation and protection efforts. The funding supports improving disaster resilience measures and upgrading street infrastructure to resist the effects of floods.
The funded projects seek to enhance work on the west side of the Cedar River, with funds allocated for levees, trails and a new flood wall. The project’s wall portion, which is located near the Union Pacific Railroad Project, targets neighborhoods between I-380 and the rail line, an area that was previously ineligible for federal aid.
Sourced from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the funding will be disbursed through the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant program. Marking the largest federal investment in the west side’s flood control, the project is expected to complement the billion-dollar flood mitigation system already in progress throughout the city.
The project funded with the grant money includes a 0.3-mile levee with a trail on top, a realignment of F Avenue NE near the levee, and a floodwall from E Avenue NW to the existing levee south of I-380. The project also plans for a roundabout on F Avenue NW, a railroad flood gate, a pedestrian bridge and a stormwater management system as part of planned construction activities. Some upgrades will also integrate with the vicinity of the new Cedar Crossing Casino.
City officials expect west side construction to accelerate as a result of the new federal funds. Officials also anticipate the project will rebuild trust in communities still recovering from the 2008 flood that affected the region.
Photo by Bob Felderman from Pexels
