New and Improved Fuller and Grand

The intersection of Fuller Rd and Grand Avenue is now open for travel on the south, west, and east sides. The north leg is still closed for the next phase of the Grand Avenue project. This project is part of a larger reconstruction of Grand Avenue from the Raccoon River Park entrance to Railroad Avenue as a four and five-lane section. The new intersection allows for safer traffic movements through the intersection and roadway, and includes traffic signals.


Although the intersection officially opened up last Wednesday afternoon, we had to close it again at times on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for Hy-Vee elite and age group races.







Grand Avenue was originally paved in the early 1930s, so this rehabilitation is very much needed. The overall project involves a widening of the street to increase traffic capacity and wider lanes (12 feet). All three phases are described below.

Phase 1: This phase of the overall project involved reconstruction of the Grand Avenue/Fuller Road intersection, including the installation of signals. Construction in 2008 included relocation of public utilities as well as construction of the retaining wall south of Heatherwood Drive. Construction began March 23, 2009 for the 2009 Construction season and involved the remaining utility work, full pavement removal and replacement, and construction of new traffic signals at the Grand/Fuller intersection.

Phase 2: This phase will include construction of the four and five-lane section of Grand Avenue from the limits of Phase One northerly to the railroad tracks north of Delevan Drive. Phase Two will be constructed during the 2009 construction season.

Phase 3: This phase includes construction of a similar pavement section from the limits of Phase One southerly to just beyond the entrance to Raccoon River Park. The construction timelime for Phase Three is yet to be determined.

Tri Weekend in WDM

June is always a busy month in West Des Moines, and one of the biggest events in the city is quickly approaching.

The Hy-Vee Triathlon will fill up Raccoon River Park this weekend. On Saturday, hundreds of kids will participate in a shortened version of the event inside Raccoon River Park. In the afternoon, the world's top male and female triathletes will compete for an impressive prize purse. On Sunday afternoon, they will represent their countries again as part of the World Championship Team race (a new event for the sport of triathlon that we in West Des Moines will be the first to see)!

Earlier on Sunday, nearly 2500 amateur athletes will test themselves by swimming, biking, and running through the park and on some of our city streets. Due to the number of people participating in this race, the route must be longer to avoid problems that frequent lapping would cause.

This is a tremendous event for the City of West Des Moines and the greater Des Moines metro area. Here are some questions we are often asked at the City regarding the event:

Q. Which streets are impacted?
A. This year, the race impacts the portion of Grand Avenue from S. 35th St to Fuller Rd. for about an hour Friday (during elite practice) and from 12 - 6 pm Sunday, the elite race.

On Sunday, the bike portion of the race will take place on Grand from the park entrance out to Raccoon River Drive, continuing into Dallas County and back. The run will then go up Grand Avenue to Fuller Road, west to S. 35th, north to Mills Civic, and turn around short of the Valley Stadium west entrance. Sunday's closure starts at 5 am. Grand west of S. 35th will open as soon as the last biker leaves the road, and should be open no later than 10:30 am. The rest of the route will remain closed until noon. For road closure maps and route maps, view the Triathlon news item on our website.

Q. Where should I park to see the event?
A. Hy-Vee has done a lot of advertising of its shuttle routes for the event, and that is the best way to park without hassle and without having to navigate the road closures. You can park and ride at Valley High School and Valley West Mall.

Q. What impact does this have on Raccoon River Park?
A. Portions of the park have been closed during event-setup, and the entire park will be used during the triathlon weekend. There will be some lingering impact as the event is taken down as well. View a graphic showing the park impacts here. Other impacts that may be of concern to residents include aesthetic changes to the park or changes to the natural beauty of the park. Hy-Vee has committed to leaving the park as good as or better than it was prior to the event.

Q. Who pays for this event to take place?

A. This event (including any overtime costs incurred by the city) is entirely funded by Hy-Vee, and any proceeds they recover go to Variety - the Children's Charity and other designated nonprofits. Although there is some city administrative staff time involved in planning for the event, it is a worthwhile investment of time because of the community benefit and the impact of bringing visitors and participants to our city for an elite competition. Although the amateur event creates some inconvenience for residents because of its size, which necessitates holding part of that race on city streets Sunday, it is this part of the event for which West Des Moines residents - and people around the state -- spend months preparing. Many of us know someone participating. As a city, we must weigh the costs of some temporary road closures with the benefits of providing a location for this community activity to occur. We have tried to minimize the inconvenience to residents in the area to the best of our ability.

Q. What does it cost to attend?

A. The event is free for the public.

Please view the Hy-Vee Triathlon news item on the City website or http://www.hyveetriathlon.com/ for any additional questions you have about the 2009 Hy-Vee Triathlon.