Portions of East 53rd, Divison streets to open to traffic by end of Friday

DAVENPORT, Iowa (KWQC) - Two “significant” roads will re-open to traffic by the end of Friday, just in time to kickoff the holiday season, Davenport officials said this week.

The roads are East 53rd Street at Jersey Ridge Road and between Lorton Avenue and Elmore Circle, and Division Street between 12th and Locust streets,

“Construction can be inconvenient, but when these projects are fully complete, motorists will appreciate a smoother ride on nearly 18 lane miles of road, sidewalk, recreational trail, and subsurface utility improvements for years to come,” Public Works Director and Assistant City Administrator Nicole Gleason said.

The $16.2 million East 53rd Street project is a four-year, two-phase, multi-segment higher volume road project that reconstructed the street between Brady and Eastern in Phase I in 2020-2021 and completed three of five segments in Phase II in 2022, officials said.

The current Phase II segments at Jersey Ridge Road and Lorton Avenue to Elmore Circle will re-open to all lanes of travel by the end of Friday.

Single daytime lane reductions in the eastbound curb lane will happen through the winter when temperatures are favorable for work on the recreational trail on the south side of the road between Lorton Avenue and Elmore Circle, officials said.

Segments four and five of Phase II will reconstruct Eastern Avenue to Jersey Ridge Road and Jersey Ridge Road to Lorton Avenue in 2023.

“Once complete in 2023, East 53rd Street will have been fully reconstructed, widened in spots, added recreational trail, and received utility and stormwater improvements from Brady Street to Elmore Circle,” Assistant Public Works Director Clay Merritt said.

The $3.4 million Division Street project was a two-year, two-phase project that reconstructed the street between 5th and 9th streets in 2020 and 12th and Locust streets this year.

The current Phase II portion of the project between 12th and Locust streets will re-open to two lanes of travel by the end of Friday, and then fully re-open by the end of Wednesday.

“Don’t forget the businesses you may have been missing due to travel delays,” Gleason said. “With the construction season coming to an end, now is a great time to check back in.”