A $51-Million project on the west side of Davenport is about to enter its final phase. The West Side Diversion Tunnel Project upgrades Davenport's sanitary sewer system. The project has three phases, phase one is done, phase two will wrap up in June and Wednesday night council members learned more about phase three.
The third phase will begin right next to Williams Intermediate School, go under Duck Creek to Northwest Park and continue all the way to 30th Street. The construction site next to the intermediate school has some people worried.
"It hasn't really been too bad. I mean a bonus for it is there's not a lot of traffic coming up and down the streets," says Mark Oberhaus of Davenport.
People who live along the West Side Diversion Tunnel path have been dealing with construction right outside their front doors for years.
"There's really no where for us to park and you really have to make do with what you have," adds Oberhaus.
The path for phase three will start right outside Williams Intermediate School. The city has been working with the school district to make sure students are kept safe.
"We shaped our project taking into consideration their needs for sports playfields and things of that nature, and safety of the school children," says Davenport Public Works Director Mike Clarke.
There will only be one entrance in and out of the construction site.
"Will trucks be allowed to wonder around in that neighborhood? The answer is no," adds Clarke.
Some council members want to make sure the construction area is constantly monitored and would like to see security cameras installed.
"I've got a lot of concerns with the kids in the neighborhood," says Davenport Alderman Ray Ambrose, "What happens if they see a big hole and it's possibly full of water?"
People who live along the tunnel's path say they haven't had any safety concerns; they just want the project to be over.
"So, we can park back out front again and have our street back," says Oberhaus.
The city will ask for construction bids on final phase of the project in February. Construction will start in the spring or early summer. The project will be complete in fall of 2014. Phase three will cost around $6-million.
Once the project is done it will ease problems with basement flooding and open the west side of the city to more development.
