vlog Investigates: ‘Herculean effort’ gets Fleur Drive a step away from being construction-free
In Iowa, 59 percent of roads are in good condition, according to national data.
That hasn’t always been the case in Des Moines, which has 2,200 miles of roads.
“That was a topic No. 1 at every neighborhood association meeting that I went to, which was to do something about the roads,” said Jonathan Gano, the director of Des Moines’ public works department.
More funding made progress possible, he said.
One of the key projects – sprucing up Fleur Drive — is one step from the finish line.
“Fleur Drive is commonly understood as the gateway to downtown Des Moines. For every out-of-town visitor that flies in, more often than not, their next destination is a drive through Fleur Drive to get downtown,” Gano said.
That’s notable since the project was more serious than first thought.
Crews pulled up the surface and found that the asphalt underneath was crumbling.
“Imagine they’re pulling up the carpet and finding the floorboards are rotting underneath. That’s what we discovered on Fleur Drive in 2016,” Gano said.
He said it’s been a “Herculean task” to get that project to completion.
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