Broadway Street Reconstruction

Pella, Iowa – Summer 2024 – Broadway Street consisted of asphalt surfacing overlaying brick and a deteriorated concrete base that was nearing the end of its useful life. The existing blocks north of the project had previously been transitioned to brick surfacing, so it was desired by the City of Pella to transition the remaining two block of the asphalt-surfaced street to brick. A full reconstruction of the street was planned. The newly reconstructed street consists of brick surfacing on a concrete base. Brick from the original street was salvaged during removal and used for the new pavement surface. Existing unused concrete sidewalk at the back of curb along much of the street was removed and replaced with green space. Full reconstruction also offered the opportunity to replace utilities beneath the street including clay sanitary sewer, undersized storm sewer, and undersized water main that supplies several Central College buildings including dorms, lecture halls, and the student union. Challenges during design and construction included the addition of storm sewer in a corridor that was densely packed with utilities. It was also important to maintain pedestrian access across the project during construction due to the numerous camps hosted by Central College during the summer and for students returning for the fall semester. For this reason, construction was closely coordinated between Garden & Associates, the City of Pella, Central College, and the contractor. Completion of the project in the fall of 2024 provided a new street with a new corridor appearance and improved utility infrastructure. The street transition to brick also completed the brick Broadway Street corridor stretching five blocks from the downtown city square to University Street.