Principal Point at Scott Avenue

Construction is temporarily paused due to recent heavy rain. Focus for the in-water work will continue to be on the fish passageway and grading and bank stabilization along the south side of the river once resumed. Construction on the uplands is underway.

Construction on the uplands portion of the project is now underway. Focus for the in-water work is now on the fish passageway and grading and bank stabilization along the south side of the river. The cascading drop feature and all work on the north half of the river has been completed.

The cascading drop feature and all work on the north half of the river has been completed. The contractor is continuing work on the dam modifications at the fish and recreation passages, as well as the south shoreline. Bids were received in October for the uplands project and came back well under budget. The winning contractor was Reilly Construction, who is also part of the in-water work, simplifying coordination between the two projects.

Though heavy rain events throughout the spring and summer caused construction to temporarily pause, the area was able to be drained, and construction has resumed on this project. The cascading drop feature is nearing completion and soon the contractor will begin work again on the south half of the river and dam modifications. Bidding for the uplands portion of the site is underway, with bids expected to be back in October of this year.

Principal Point at the Scott Avenue dam continues to advance, though construction is temporarily paused due to heavy rain events throughout the spring and summer. Levels have receded enough that the construction area can now be drained, and work in the water will resume as soon as possible. Already, modifications to the existing dam and cascading drop as well as bank stabilization have been implemented, resulting in improved on-water safety. Bidding for the uplands portion of the site is projected for later this year.

Principal Point at the Scott Avenue dam continues to advance, though construction is temporarily paused due to heavy rainfall. Work in the water will resume once levels recede enough to safely drain the area. Already, modifications to the existing dam and cascading drop have been implemented, as well as bank stabilization on the south bank at the east end of the project. Bidding for the uplands portion of the site is projected for later this year.

Principal Point at the Scott Avenue dam continues to advance. Work in the water has begun, and modifications to the existing dam and cascading drop progress, as well as bank stabilization on the south bank at the east end of the project. River levels continue to be favorable, and the project remains on schedule with bidding for the uplands portion of the site projected later this year. You can view a live feed of the site here.

Substantial progress continues at the Scott Avenue site. Work in the water has begun! Over the remainder of the fall, the contractor will be working on modifications to the existing dam and cascading drop, as well as bank stabilization on the south bank at the east end of the project. River levels continue to be favorable, and the project remains on schedule.

ICON’s Scott Avenue site passed its first audit with the Federal Highway Administration and Department of Transportation on May 18 with no concerns noted. Additionally, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources has approved the contractor’s dewatering and emergency action plans, allowing work in the river to begin. Already, the old railroad bridge footings have been removed, and soon the contractor will begin work on the dam and fish passage.

Scott Avenue site passed its first audit with the Federal Highway Administration and Department of Transportation on May 18 with no concerns noted. Additionally, the Iowa Department of Natural Resouces has approved the contractor’s dewatering and emergency action plans, allowing work in the river to begin. Already, the old railroad bridge footings have been removed, and soon the contractor will begin work on the dam and fish passage.

The contractor continues to haul rock and boulders to the stockpile site and has now submitted a draft dewatering plan today. Additionally, they have removed the railroad bridge abutment on the south bank of the river and has equipment in place to begin grading the bank. The City of Des Moines’ Phase C Levee contractor continues work on the north bank of the river. They are working to replace rip rap along the north bank, installing a seepage relief trench on the land side of the levee, and are starting to import fill for the levee raise.

The contractor has now hauled 10,000 tons of rip rap and over 1,200 tons of boulders to the stockpile site. River levels continue to decrease. The City’s Phase C levee contractor is working on abandoning an existing gatewell and installing a seepage relief trench between SE 6th Street and Scott Avenue on the north side of the levee. ICON’s contractor is working with its engineer on its dewatering and temporary shoring plan. These plans are necessary to meet with the DNR and obtain the necessary permits for their temporary cofferdams and causeways within the river. Once these are submitted and approved, the contractor plans to begin the dam modifications.

Mulch piles were removed from the site last week. The City of Des Moines’ Phase C levee contractor has also completed its tree clearing and has left the site. The river levels have dropped approximately 7’ since the peak on March 1 and are approximately 6’ above the low levels when the project began. The contractor has been hauling Class E Rip Rap to the stockpile site located on the City’s property east of the Harriet Street site. The contractor has hauled nearly 1,500 tons of Class E rip rap to the site. Nearly 20,000 tons is needed for the project. This week the contractor started hauling boulders to the stockpile site. The boulders are coming from Redwood Falls, Minnesota. The contractor plans to haul approximately 90 tons per day. Approximately 7,000 tons are needed for the project. The contractor is working to set up the field offices on a vacant lot at 417 Scott Avenue just north of the project.

Tree clearing is now complete and the contractor is working on clearing the site. The City of Des Moines’ Phase C levee contractor is also clearing trees along the Carl Voss Trail on the south side of the river. That contractor currently has the trail closed for removals. Once the City’s levee contractor is done with clearing, the trail will be reopened. The intent is for the trail on the south side to remain open until the City needs to close it again to construct the levee on the south side of the river. The contractor plans to begin removing the south abutment of the old railroad bridge that used to cross the river. Then they will build a small causeway to get into the river to remove three pier footings from the old bridge. The design team has reviewed the rock suppliers the contractor has proposed for the project. The contractor is completing testing on the sources to verify compliance with the specifications. Once approved, the contractor will begin hauling rock to a nearby staging area.

Construction for the first of ICON’s downtown sites is set to begin this spring, requiring tree felling in a three-acre area along the south bank of the Des Moines River. The historic dam beneath the Scott Avenue bridge is being mostly unchanged by the project with only minor modifications to make it safer, allow paddling access, and improve the fish passage. The overall project is expected to take 3 years and be completed in 2025. Approximately 150 trees will be impacted by the project; however, these will be mitigated according to city ordinance. A combination of tree planting and contributions to the City of Des Moines’ Tree Mitigation Fund will be used to offset the loss of trees at the Scott Avenue site. ICON’s construction has been planned using the highest levels of conservation standards including scheduling fells in a way that avoids potentially impacting the habitats of threatened bat species; ensuring that no bald eagle nests are disturbed and consulting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for methodology and approach; designing new features in partnership with the DNR to ensure for optimal fish passageways and habitats.