DOT Highway 9 Project Could Close Key Decorah Intersection for Months, City Manager Says

You'll want to remember this moment. Help us record what's happening in Decorah. DECORAH — A planned Iowa Department of Transportation resurfacing project on Highway 9 could close one of Decorah's busiest intersections for months during the upcoming construction season, despite repeated objections and alternative proposals from city staff, City Manager Travis Goedken told the City Council on Monday. Goedken said city officials were only recently informed that the DOT's current plans call for a full closure of the intersection at Short Street and Highway 9 during portions of the project, which is expected to span the entire construction season. The Iowa Department of Transportation is scheduled to open bids for the project next week. "That intersection could be closed for months—two or three months probably at a minimum," Goedken said, adding the city learned of the closure plans late in the process. According to Goedken, City Engineer John Hjelle spent six to seven hours last week in discussions with DOT staff attempting to keep the intersection at least partially open through phased construction. City officials proposed several alternatives, including lane-by-lane work or limiting the closure to a defined construction window. "Everything we've thrown at them about potential solutions has come back with 'no,'" Goedken said. The DOT rejected requests to rephase the project, citing increased costs, delays to the bid-letting schedule and the risk of extending the project into a second construction season, Goedken said. City officials also asked whether the DOT could loan an electronic message board to alert drivers to the closure. Goedken said the DOT declined, telling the city it would need to rent the sign instead. As a result, the city is considering purchasing its own portable message board, potentially with speed radar capability, rather than renting one for the duration of the closure. Under the DOT's current plan, Highway 9 will remain open to two-way traffic throughout the project, but access points will change as work moves through three phases, Hjelle told the council. Each phase is expected to last several months. During one phase, westbound lanes near businesses such as Culver's and Kwik Star will be closed, limiting access from Short Street. During another phase, eastbound lanes near Pizza Hut and McDonald's will be closed, cutting off access from the opposite side. Complicating matters, Goedken said, is the timing of the College Drive bridge approach reconstruction, which is scheduled for this summer. City staff are attempting to coordinate construction schedules so emergency vehicles can continue to reach areas south and west of downtown without excessive detours. Detour planning will fall entirely to the city, Goedken said, with no funding assistance from the DOT. Options are limited and could route drivers either through Montgomery Street to Highway 9 or via Pulpit Rock Road to Highway 52. Access to Centrum Plaza will remain available through Park Street, officials said. Goedken said neither city emergency management staff nor department heads were aware of the proposed closure until recently, raising concerns about late communication. "We're going to continue to try and press the DOT for changes to their plan set," Goedken said, though he acknowledged the agency has so far been unwilling to alter its approach. Council members asked whether the city owns any portable electronic signage that could be repurposed for the closure. Goedken said he was not aware of any such equipment currently in the city's inventory. No formal action was taken by the council, but Goedken said staff will continue pressing the DOT ahead of the project's preconstruction meeting and will prepare for extended closures if no changes are made. Fresh stories, delivered! Sign up for the free DecorahNews.com newsletter and stay informed, inspired, and ahead of the curve.