Decorah Council Reviews 60% Plans for Heivly Street Roundabout, Debates Sidewalk Gap

When your school board votes, Decorah News is there to report. Chip in to keep your voice in the room. DECORAH — The Decorah City Council on Monday reviewed the Decorah 2026 Heivly Street Intersection Improvement Project at the 60% design stage, presented by MSA Professional Services, marking a key milestone in plans to reconstruct one of the city's busiest intersections. City Engineer John Hjelle and City Manager Travis Goedken presented the plans in place of MSA representatives, who were unable to attend. "To be honest with you, if you recall from the 30% review, there's really no substantial changes to the 60% review," Goedken said, noting that it "might have been cost advantageous" for the city to avoid travel and hourly expenses for consultants. The 60% plans, prepared by MSA Professional Services, show a proposed roundabout at the Heivly Street intersection with 10-foot sidewalks encircling the design, tie-ins to existing sidewalks from Phase One of the project, and storm sewer, sanitary sewer and utility adjustments throughout the corridor. According to project documents, the work extends from 220 feet west of Claiborne Drive east to State Street and includes PCC resurfacing, new water main and lighting layouts, and updates to underground utilities. One of the most discussed items was a proposed gap in sidewalk along the south side of Heivly Street between River and Claiborne east to Court Street. The design team explained that this section was omitted to reduce maintenance and cost. "We're not proposing any sidewalk between the intersection with River and Claiborne east to Court Street," Goedken said, adding that most pedestrian traffic would likely move toward the school area or nearby parking lots. Several council members questioned that omission. Council member Steve Zittergruen said, "It just feels discontinuous in a way that I suspect would then make people not think that there's a connection there." He urged the council to include the short section of walk, with Hjelle estimating the connection would cost about $15,000. "We would never consider building a road this way where it's like, 'Ah, people don't use this that much, let's just take a block off,'" Zittergruen noted. "And I don't think we should consider building a sidewalk this way either." Council member Emily Neal agreed that it seemed that "a sidewalk would be beneficial." Hjelle agreed that adding the segment later would be possible but easier to decide "sooner than later," because curb cuts at Court Street must be built to legal grades for a future sidewalk connection. The plans also show a proposed rectangular rapid flashing beacon (RRFB) crossing on the east side of Court Street, similar to those on College Drive, to improve pedestrian safety across Heivly. The roundabout design includes bicycle transition ramps and accessible "landing areas" for wheelchair users, with truncated domes for visual and tactile cues. Other details in the MSA plan sheets list new storm sewer alignments, sanitary sewer replacements, and coordination with multiple utility providers including Alliant Energy, Black Hills Energy and Decorah Metronet. The total project corridor measures about one-third of a mile, according to the engineering summary. No formal action was taken at the meeting, but the council signaled general support for continuing toward the 90% design stage with further discussion on adding the missing sidewalk link. Never a dull moment! Subscribe to the free DecorahNews.com newsletter and stay one step ahead with local news and information you just can't get anywhere else.