City Of Ankeny: West First Street Widening And Improvements Project Update

Press release from the City of Ankeny:

10/12/2021 1:31 p.m.

Construction on the West First Street Widening Project will be wrapping up for the season either late this week or early next week, weather permitting. West First Street, from the Ankeny Market & Pavilion (AMP) driveway to SW Logan Street, will be open to traffic and will operate as a five-lane street with dedicated left turn lanes and traffic signals at the two major intersections of NW Ash Drive/SW Cherry Street and NW/SW School Street. Two-way left turn lanes will be in place along the remainder of the corridor. This traffic pattern will remain in effect until late March/early April 2022, when the reconstruction of the north side of West First Street commences.

The pavement in the area of the left turn lanes along the corridor is a temporary pavement that ties the new eastbound lanes to the existing westbound lanes. In some locations, this temporary pavement has a steeper slope as it connects the new design to the existing street. Drivers should use caution and be aware of the difference in pavement along with narrower lanes in certain areas of the corridor; slow down and adhere to the posted 25 mph advisory speed limit signs. The temporary pavement between SW School Street and SW Logan Street will be blocked off with traffic control drums, as that portion is too steep to safely traverse during the winter months.

There will be periodic temporary lane closures between late October and late November, generally limited to the outside eastbound lane, as remaining miscellaneous work is completed and MidAmerican Energy installs the permanent streetlights along the south side of the West First Street corridor. Drivers are reminded to obey all traffic signs and pavement markings during the interim condition until the West First Street Widening and Improvements Project resumes next spring.

This press release was produced by the City of Ankeny. The views expressed here are the author’s own.