City of Ames – Grand Avenue Extension

Back to projects

The Grand Ave extension is the realization of over two decades of planning by the City of Ames to take a significant step forward with how people travel through the southern portion of Ames. The roadway eases traffic congestion on the always-busy South Duff Avenue and provides a link from the heart of Ames to Highway 30 without traveling on S Duff Ave or Lincoln Way.

The roadway is built at an elevation to remain dry in flood events near a 500-year recurrence interval. In August of 2010, the City of Ames was victim to historic flooding that effectively divided the city in half along Ioway Creek flooding. The first bridge is a 450’ main bridge, and the second is a 260 Creek. Emergency personnel could only cross the creek with significant detours outside of town, which endangered the lives of anyone stuck on the wrong side.

The Grand Ave extension connected the existing termini near S 16th St and Squaw Creek Drive. The project included two bridges to pass the Ioway Creek flooding. The first bridge is a 450’ main bridge, and the second is a 260’ overflow used only during high-flow events. Additionally, extending South 5th Street to Grand Ave relieved traffic pressures on nearby neighborhoods being used as a cut-through today.