CEDAR RAPIDS — Beautification at an estimated cost of $1.27 million is coming to spots along Collins Road NE, First Avenue West, Third Avenue SW and Williams Boulevard SW.

The project is a joint one, in which the Iowa Department of Transportation will pay about $600,000 and the city of Cedar Rapids about $670,000 of the cost with Cedar Rapids being responsible for ongoing maintenance.

Rob Davis, engineering operations manager in the city’s Public Works Department, said the work will feature native grasses, trees and brick work along Collins Road NE between Council Street NE and 700 feet west of Northland Avenue NE.

On the west side, there will be new brick work along the sidewalk with a low decorative wall at First Avenue West between Third Street SW and L Street SW; brick work and new sidewalk at Third Avenue SW from 165 west of Third Street SW to L Street SW; and median work on Williams Boulevard SW from Trent Street SW to 16th Avenue SW that is similar to the Collins Road NE work.

The Iowa Department of Transportation opened bids on the work on Tuesday with bids coming in below the project estimate, said Emily Muhlbach, communications coordinator for the city’s Development Services Department.

Davis said work on the west-side projects is slated to be done over 70 days starting in August. Work will begin in ditches and on drains along Collins Road this fall with work in the median slated for April 2016.

Council member Scott Olson compared the beautification work on Collins Road NE to the median work in place on First Avenue East near Collins Road NE.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ADVERTISEMENT

Council member Justin Shields last week applauded City Manager Jeff Pomeranz and the city’s Public Works Department for suggesting that the city enhance its major streets as he said other cities across the state are doing.

“It’s really going to make a change in how Cedar Rapids is perceived,” Shields said.

City money for the project is not coming from the Paving for Progress program, which is funded via the city’s local-option sales tax to repair and reconstruct streets.