Assistant Public Works Director Clay Merritt says one of the most noticeable will be phase two of the reconstruction of 53rd Street. It will begin next week between Elmore and Eastern Avenue.
"So full reconstruction for us is removing the surface, removing the base and the sub-base, and putting in brand new. Putting in storm sewer detention areas to try to improve some of the storm sewer quality we have there, and take some of that runoff so it doesn't continue to go downhill, south of there. In addition to that, we are widening it."
This two-year project will cost 9 million dollars, and copy the same work done previously on 53rd, from Brady Street to Eastern.
Preliminary work has also started to build a berm around the water pollution control plant to protect it from future flooding by the Mississippi River. Merritt says it will be nearly six feet higher than the record flood.
"So we are going far and above anything we've experienced just to make sure. That's one of our two to three most critical facilities we have in our entire region because it serves not only Davenport, but Bettendorf, Panorama Park, and Riverdale."
The city is also planning storm sewer repairs downtown to improve flood protection, and will spend 10 million dollars to build a new Fire Station Number 3, north of Kimberly Road.