Waukee's Alice's Road Project Gets Huge Boost from the Iowa DOT

One of Waukee's most talked about projects just got a huge boost from the Iowa Department of Transportation.

It was announced Tuesday morning that the city of Waukee would receive a RISE grant for $5.29 million to help pay for the Alice's Road corridor project.

In a news release announcing the award, Waukee Mayor Bill Peard said, “Through careful planning, initiative, dedication and vision, the Alice’s Road corridor will become a premier corridor for economic development in the near future within the Des Moines metropolitan area. Approval of the RISE grant for this important corridor will allow the city to move a very significant component of the key infrastructure forward in recognizing the vision and dedication that has been put into this project.”

RISE, or Revitalize Iowa’s Sound Economy, was created in 1985 to promote economic development in Iowa through the establishment, construction, improvement, and maintenance of roads and streets that promote economic development in the state by improving or maintaining highway access.

The grant will pay for the construction cost of three of the six lanes of Alice's Road planned between University Avenue and Ashworth Road. The total cost of the project is estimated at $10.4 million with construction expected to begin in 2012.

The Alice's Road corridor, once completed, is expected to bring in businesses critical to the future of the city of Waukee. An estimated 1,700 acres in new development is expected over time with the completion of key infrastructure within the corridor.

For more information on the project, visit www.alicesroad.com or www.waukee.org.