Beware First Avenue construction in Coralville

CORALVILLE - The commute to and from work is about to get a lot more stressful for people like me.

I use the word “commute” lightly because I think it tends to imply a longer trip than what I face: three miles one way between Coralville and downtown Iowa City.

But that term may soon become more appropriate for me. In between my home and work is Coralville's First Avenue and the dreaded First Avenue-Highway 6 intersection – the busiest in Johnson County with 50,000 vehicles a day.

Traffic is a problem on a typical weekday morning, especially heading south on First Avenue and east on Highway 6 toward the University of Iowa campus and University Hospitals.

Today, work starts on the First Avenue bridge on Clear Creek as part of a flood-mitigation project. Click here to read more about the First Avenue project, which includes more than just the bridge.

Starting Thursday, First Avenue will be reduced to one lane in each direction immediately north and south of the bridge for the duration of the project, which is expected to take most of the year.

That's right, one lane each way. I can't imagine what kind of nightmare that's going to be.

That said, as city officials contend, the project should be good for the area in the long run. First Avenue could use the middle turn lane that will be added, and anything to help alleviate future flooding in this primarily commercial district is a worthy goal.

So those of us who regularly use First Avenue will have to put up with some headaches for a while (I'll be taking a new, longer route to work to avoid the construction). But a year from now, hopefully we'll all think it was worth it.