DES MOINES, Iowa — The phases of Fleur Drive have reached year four.
The massive road reconstruction project on Fleur Drive started in 2019 and is still going — but it looks like there's an end in sight.
For several years, the Des Moines road has been front and center as its undergoes a multi-million dollar, five-year project. The city said this work is necessary because about 30,000 cars drive up and down Fleur Drive daily.
City engineer Steven Naber has seen Fleur through the phases since 2019. Now, it's full speed ahead towards fall of 2024, the target end date.
"We're actually about two and a half months ahead of schedule. In fact, all the paving work of Fleur Drive is substantially completed," Naber told Local 5.
Naber hopes that steers drivers' moods in the right direction, whether you're in the area grabbing groceries, a quick cup of coffee, taking off for the airport or live in the area.
"We know this type of work is completely impactful. We're talking about complete reconstruction, tearing up everything, and the road's down to one lane in each direction, so it's causing delays, but this a matter of where we wanted to fix the road the right way," said Naber.
The work included reconstructing the road in its entirety, including laying new curbs and gutters and improving aged underground utilities. The project also added better sidewalks for increased walkability.
As work inches closer to the end, Naber hopes drivers see this project puts the city on the road to success.
"We ask for people's patience. We know this work is impactful," he said. "We are going to leave our city in a better place. That's our ultimate goal."
This specific Fleur Drive project is a two-mile stretch from George Flagg Parkway to McKinley Avenue.
Once this five-year reconstruction project wraps up, Naber said there are plans to re-pave another stretch of Fleur Drive. That work would be south of McKinley in front of the airport. Naber said that work would be different then the current project.
The work in progress nrequired crews to fully reconstruct the two-mile stretch from the dirt up and building a new structure. The upcoming project would be just resurfacing and repaving, so Naber said it won't have nearly as much of an impact on drivers.
"It's not as impactful as reconstruction. Resurfacing is milling off the pavement and repaving it, a much shorter duration," he said.
That project could happen as early as 2025.