COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (KMTV) - West Broadway is that vital connection between downtown Omaha and Council Bluffs, and reconstruction is finally nearing completion.
"Phase 5 entails the complete reconstruction of the roads, sidewalks, storm sewer system from 19th Street to 15th Street," civil engineer Dave Vermillion said.
Mayor Matt Walsh says a revamping was long overdue.
"West Broadway had not been rebuilt since the late 1940s. Every year they would input a layer of asphalt on top of it and that would last for two or three years," Walsh said.
Vermillion says this final phase has some of the busiest intersections in Council Bluffs and it took a lot of effort to create a phasing plan.
"Eventually there comes a time when you have to close it, and having good traffic control signage up to help the drivers re-route themselves around construction is a big deal too," Vermillion said.
Walsh is convinced the improvements will polish the city.
"We've got special amenities, special traffic lights, special street lights, that you can see in the first four phases that will extend into the fifth phase," Walsh said.
The Iowa West Foundation partnered with the city through all five phases since 2017. President & CEO Brenda Mainwaring is eager for completion.
"When you're talking about a five-year project for road construction, first it's an inconvenience. People think its never going to end. You see it incrementally take shape," Mainwaring said.
Mainwaring is seeing the progress pay off.
"You really understand what the concept was to make this a truly attractive entry point to the city," Mainwaring said.
