Expect More Construction Delays on E. 53rd in Davenport This Spring

There's a reason Davenport Public Works wants us to use Veterans Memorial Parkway more. Earlier this week we told you the public works department wants us to know how to properly use roundabouts so we'll travel Veteran's Memorial Parkway more often and travel less on 53rd Street.

The City of Davenport is planning more work on the highly-traveled 53rd street starting this spring. According to the QC Times Davenport mayor, Mike Matson said this about the impending project.

I'm sorry, citizens, but you're going to continue to see a lot of barricades,

Great. We're all about improving the streets in Davenport, but it's been a headache on parts of 53rd street the past two years while it was under construction from Brady Street to Eastern.

On Wednesday Davenport aldermen approved plans for the second phase of widening and reconstruction of E 53rd street from Eastern to Elmore Circle. 

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The newest construction project means there will be a reconstruction of the four-lane road and the addition of a center left-turn lane along with the construction of a 5-foot-wide sidewalk on the north side of East 53rd Street. There will be an 8 foot-wide shared-use path on the south side of the mile-long project. 

According to the QC Times, the $8 million total estimated project cost will be covered by a federal transportation grant. 

There are agreements in place that keep the contractor from beginning construction on another phase. The city along with the Iowa Department of Transportation says they'll 'minimize as much as possible the disruption of business and the traveling public.'

I can hear you sighing along with me. Let's all try to think positively that the project will move quickly. Traffic in that area is rough enough when there isn't any construction. We all might want to take a class on being more zen or find another route for a while.

East 53rd Street will be under construction for about two years.