7 10 17 Work Session - Southwest Arterial Project UpdateCopyrighted
July 10, 2017
City of Dubuque Work Session - Bottom # 2.
IT EM T IT LE:Southwest Arterial Update
SUM MARY:City staff will conduct a work session on the status of the
Southwest Arterial project.
SUGGEST ED DISPOSIT ION:
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
Southwest Arterial Project Status Update-MVM Memo City Manager Memo
Staff Memo Staff Memo
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Work Session July 10, 2017
Southwest Arterial (US Highway 52) Project Status Update
DATE: July 6, 2017
Assistant City Engineer Robert Schiesl is transmitting information for the work session
on the Southwest Arterial Project Status Update.
_____________________________________
Michael C. Van Milligen
MCVM:jh
Attachment
cc: Crenna Brumwell, City Attorney
Teri Goodmann, Assistant City Manager
Robert Schiesl, Assistant City Engineer
Gus Psihoyos, City Engineer
1
Mayor Buol and former Iowa DOT Director Paul
Trombino Sign Memorandum of Understanding
TO: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
Gus Psihoyos, City Engineer
FROM: Robert Schiesl, Assistant City Engineer
SUBJECT: Work Session July 10, 2017
Southwest Arterial (US Highway 52) Project Status Update
DATE: July 6, 2017
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide the Mayor and City Council members with a
status update on the development, advancement, and construction progress for the
Southwest Arterial (U.S. 52) Project. Staff will also share a presentation update as well.
BACKGROUND
Through the continued collaborative partnership between the
Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) and the City of
Dubuque, significant milestone achievements for the
completion of the Southwest Arterial project were realized with
the execution of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU),
which was signed on August 9, 2013, and finalizing the
Transfer of Roadway Jurisdiction (TOJ), was signed on
November 7, 2016.
TRANSFER OF JURISDICTION
The following is a brief summary of the overall intent and principle objectives set forth when
developing the Memorandum of Understanding: The Iowa DOT and City, in joint cooperation,
will Transfer the Jurisdiction of the Southwest Arterial from the City to the State in exchange
for the Transfer of Jurisdiction of the Northwest Arterial (or Iowa 32), and portions of existing
U.S. 52 / Iowa 3 through downtown Dubuque, from the State to the City. The Transfer of
Jurisdiction will occur after the Southwest Arterial is completed and open to traffic.
Following the execution of the MOU, the City is continuing as the lead agency for the multiple
project development phases for completing the Southwest Arterial and is responsible for
completing the following improvement projects:
Project Description Status
Final Engineering Design Underway
Right-of-Way Property Acquisition Completed
BHE Gas Pipeline Utility Relocation Completed
BP Gas Pipeline Utility Relocation Summer / Fall 2017
North Cascade Road Reconstruction Completed
English Mill Road Reconstruction Close Out Phase
Military Road Reconstruction Under Construction
2
When the City completes all the project phases listed in the above table, it is expected that all
of the City, County, and Federal funds obligated for the Southwest Arterial project will be fully
expended.
When the City completes all the project phases it is responsible for, the Iowa DOT will then
take over as lead agency and will be responsible for all remaining costs associated with the
completion of the Southwest Arterial, including grading, bridges, interchanges and highway
paving.
PROPERTY ACQUISITION
The City is substantially complete with all the right-of-way property acquisition for the 56
impacted properties along the Southwest Arterial Corridor. In total, there were 93 owner,
leasehold or rental tenants affected which required separate good faith negotiations to secure
purchase agreements or interest release settlements. Of the 93 owner, leasehold or tenant
interests, the City was successful in securing 82 purchase agreements, however 11 property
owners elected to proceed with eminent domain proceedings. The condemnation hearings
were held and judgement settlements were issued, however 9 property owners elected to
exercise their legal right to appeal the condemnation commissioner’s compensation award
judgement. The following table summarized the status of the condemnation appeals.
Parcel ID Owner Condemnation Status
124 Bradley Appealed Completed - Settlement Reached
130 Bradley Appealed Completed - Settlement Reached
147 Siegert - Tigges Appealed Completed - Settlement Reached
152 Kress Did Not Appeal Completed
161 Reuter Did Not Appeal Completed
184 Luckstead Appealed Completed - Awaiting Judge Ruling
187 Luckstead Appealed Completed - Awaiting Judge Ruling
112 Plastic Center, Inc. Appealed Hearing Date: April 2018
113 Cate Appealed Hearing Date: Anticipated 2018
114 Siegert Appealed Hearing Date: December 2017
150A Valentine Appealed Hearing Date: April 2018
As of June 2017, the City has expended approximately $16.1 million for right-of-way property
acquisition. Based on current market conditions, inflationary costs, increased cost in
agricultural land values, eminent domain award judgements, and pending condemnation
appeal legal defense expenses, the current estimate of probable cost has increased to $16.5
million. The $16.5 million estimate does not include the unknown pending condemnation
appeals.
The anticipated project funding summary for the right-of-way property acquisition phase for
the Southwest Arterial project is as follows:
Fund Description Fund Amount
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Funding $ 2,909,534
Federal SAFETEA-LU Funding (80%) 10,872,372
City - Local Funding (10%) 1,359,047
County - Local Funding (10%) 1,359,047
Total Project Funding: $ 16,500,000
3
English Mill Road Reconstruction
Groundbreaking Ceremony
FINAL ENGINEERING DESIGN
The Southwest Arterial project team is now completing the final engineering design elements
and preparing construction plan documents for the remaining construction bid packages
which will be let during 2017 and 2018. The project development schedule includes seven (7)
construction packages which will be bid in 2017 and another three (3) construction packages
which will be bid in 2018.
CONSTRUCTION
With the significant development and
advancement towards the completion of the
Southwest Arterial with multiple construction
projects underway and the 4-lane grading
started on the project, to commemorate the
milestone achievement, a Groundbreaking
Ceremony was held Oct. 11, 2016.
The following is a summary of $47 Million in construction projects that are either completed or
are currently under construction for the continued advancement towards completion of the
Southwest Arterial:
The first phase of construction, the North Cascade Road project was completed in
November of 2013. The project provided for the reconstruction (grading, paving &
bridge) and realignment of North Cascade Road which will allow the Southwest
Arterial to travel under the new North Cascade Road Bridge. Final project cost is
approximately $3.7 Million.
Box culvert structure at Granger Creek / Highway 61/151 interchange was completed
in May 2016, final cost is approximately $1.2 Million.
The BHE gas pipeline relocation on English Mill has been completed; final cost is
approximately $1.4 Million.
The English Mill Road reconstruction is a city
administered project and it was substantially
completed last month. The project provided for
the reconstruction (grading, bridge, and paving)
of English Mill Road which will allow the
Southwest Arterial to travel under the new
English Mill Road Bridge. The final estimated
project cost is approximately $3.9 million
dollars.
Menards Frontage Road project is currently under construction with a majority of the
work to be completed during the 2017 season. Cost projection $8.8 Million.
US20 / Seippel Interchange grading project is currently under construction with a
majority of the work to be completed during the 2017-18 season. Cost projection $6.4
Million.
West grading project (English Mill to Catfish Creek) is currently under construction with
a majority of the work to be completed during the 2017-18 season. Cost projection
$8.8 Million.
4
The Military Road reconstruction project is the third
and final side-road reconstruction project
administered by the City as part of the Southwest
Arterial project. Construct began in April 2017 and
will provide for the reconstruction (grading, bridge
and paving) of Military Road. Current cost is
approximately $5.2 Million.
US20 / Seippel interchange Ramp D bridge is
currently under construction and will be completed
mid-summer prior to paving the westbound ramp.
Current cost is approximately $853,000.
East grading project (Military Road to US61-151) was bid in March 2017. Construction
started in April 2017. Current cost is approximately $6.6 Million.
US20 / Seippel interchange west bound ramp paving will occur this fall so that US 20
mainline westbound traffic can be detoured onto the new ramp in the spring of 2018
when construction of the US 20 bridges will begin. Current cost is approximately
$850,000.
The following is a summary of $47.3 Million in upcoming construction projects that will be bid
in 2017.
Bid Letting - December 2017
East grading project (Catfish Creek to Military Road) - Phase 2
Westbound Bridge Over Catfish Creek
US 20 Interchange, EB Ramp “C” Bridge
Mainline US 20 Bridges Over Catfish Creek
Southwest Arterial Interchange Bridge Over US Highway 20
Southwest Arterial Interchange Bridges Over US Highway 61 -151
Elmwood Drive Frontage Road Bridge Over Granger Creek
The following is a summary of the 2-lane paving projects that will be bid in 2018.
Bid Letting - December 2018
SW Arterial - US 20 Interchange Paving
US 61/151 Paving (From Catfish Creek to Olde Davenport Rd)
SW Arterial Paving (From US 20 Interchange to Catfish Creek)
CURRENT FUNDING
As a result of hard work from Dubuque’s congressional delegation and the strong support
and partnership of U.S. Senator Harkin, U.S. Senator Grassley and Congressman Braley, the
City has secured approximately $32.8 million in federal funding for the Southwest Arterial
project. The Iowa Department of Transportation Commission approved in the current Iowa 5-
Year Highway Transportation Improvement Program $115 million in funding programmed for
the Southwest Arterial project.
Military Road Under Construction
5
The following funding table summarizes the City and County local match funding, including
both federal earmark and Iowa DOT funding for continuing the advancement and completion
of the Southwest Arterial:
Funding Source Fund Amount
Federal Funding $ 32.8 Million
City Funding $ 6.1 Million
Dubuque County Funding $ 3.7 Million
Iowa DOT 5-Year Highway Transportation Program $ 115 Million
Total Project Funding: $157.6 Million
Subject to future continued funding availability in the Iowa DOT’s 5-Year Transportation
Program, the Iowa DOT projects that the Southwest Arterial (2-lanes) could be open to traffic
by the end of 2019.
ADDITIONAL FUNDING REQUESTED
The current available Southwest Arterial funding is to construct 4-lane grading and provide an
interim 2-lane paved highway from US 20 to US 61-151.
On June 13, 2017, the Mayor presented before the Iowa DOT Commissioners and requested
their consideration in allocating the remaining $17.4 million needed to fully complete the 4-
lane construction of the Southwest Arterial. To date, the Iowa DOT has already received
approximately $13 million in savings on bids and contracts for grading, bridge and paving
projects. And, by constructing the 4-lane paved highway now, an additional $1.5 million cost
saving could be realized by eliminating throw away costs associated with the 2-lane paved
highway.
The Mayor’s presentation requested allocating an additional $1.3 million in fiscal year 18 to
complete final engineering design, this will allow the remaining 2 bridges and the remaining
2-lane paving to be designed over the next 12 months. The Iowa DOT already has $47
million dollars programmed for 7 bridges projects that will bid in December 2017. With
allocating an additional $7.1 million dollars in fiscal year 19 to construct the remaining 2
bridges, contractor efficiencies will be realized with (7) other bridges under construction with
the corridor, thus correlating to very competitive bids and potential cost savings. The Iowa
DOT already has $29.7 million dollars programmed in fiscal year 19 to begin highway paving.
With allocating an additional $9 million dollars in fiscal year 19 to construct the remaining east
bound 2-lane highway paving, contractor efficiencies will be realized with combining all 4-lane
paving projects together, thus correlating to very competitive bids and potential cost savings.
ACTION STEP
No additional action requested, memorandum is for informational purposes only to
accompany the staff presentation.