CLINTON, Iowa — Clinton city officials are considering adding a new road to the town's riverfront.
The street would connect Riverview Drive to the Lyons business district. The project is still in extremely early stages, but at-large Clinton City Council member Pat Determan believes it's worth the investment.
"It opens up opportunities to connect our downtown district into our Lyons district," Determan said.
Determan said the development would supper businesses in Clinton and create a positive trend of new infrastructure, especially when paired with an already ongoing project.
"We're expanding Manufacturing Drive into Bluff Boulevard, so basically from 7th Avenue North all the way to Highway 30," he said.
But the proposed road still needs a lot of work to become a reality. The Corps of Engineers and the City of Clinton would both need to complete feasibility studies. At a council meeting on Tuesday night, some members worried about the potential cost, which could be as high as $19 million.
"If some sort of funding comes along and we want to submit a project, I think it's a good project, so we would have to have this part done. But I don't know know how else we could feasibly afford it," 2nd Ward council member Cody Seeley said.
Ultimately, the council agreed to forward the proposal to the finance board so city officials can apply for federal grants to finish the necessary studies. In addition to commissioning studies and design work on the project, the City of Clinton would need to identify a funding source for the road. As a result, there's currently no timeline on when the project could start construction.
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