The City of Marshalltown has been awarded a Revitalize Iowa's Sound Economy or RISE grant from the Iowa DOT totaling more than $1.6 million for the completion of the Edgewood Extension project. The total project is estimated to be around $4 million, with the grant covering 50 percent of the expenses eligible through the DOT's RISE program. The project will extend Edgewood Street beyond its current dead end at 5th Avenue into the field, which is owned by the City to a make a connection with a new portion of 8th Avenue which will extend north of Marion Street. The project is currently being designed, with an anticipated construction in 2020.
While the project has been discussed conceptually in prior years, it came as a recommendation from the Highway 14 Corridor Study, which was completed by the City of Marshalltown in early 2018. "The Study is what really gave this project the legs to move forward. The City Council's commitment to providing a higher quality of life for residents along North 3rd Avenue has also kept this moving forward," stated City Administrator Jessica Kinser. The roadway would serve to divert heavy truck and other traffic looking to access JBS or other industrial areas along Marion Street and 18th Avenue from the mixed residential and commercial area along Highway 14 between Edgewood and Marion Streets. City Council Member Mike Gowdy commented that this was great news for the community. "To receive that money for a new road will indeed be music to
the ears of residents along Marion Street."
The City is not done looking for grant funding, however. Michelle Spohnheimer is currently working on a grant application to secure additional federal funding for the portions not covered by the State funding. "This is a great project that came about through a process with a lot of community input, and we think that this could receive additional funds to help reduce the City's portion," stated Spohnheimer. The City's portion is proposed to be funded through $2.1 million in local option sales tax that is designated for a capital project and with about $300,000 of road use tax.
For more information on the Highway 14 Corridor Study and to download the plan please visit https://www.marshalltown-ia.gov/566/Hwy-14-Corridor-Study.