A Portion of Kerper Blvd. Will Soon Close Until 2027 in Dubuque

As was recently reported on, Dubuque's construction of the 16th Street Detention Basin flood gate replacement and pump station project is set to resume. This comes after the Iowa Department of Natural Resources re-approved the permit needed to continue work after initially having it paused for roughly three months while additional environmental analysis was conducted.

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The city has now stated that due to the construction a portion of Kerper Blvd. between East 12th Street and East 16th Street will be closed from 7 AM on Wednesday, November 12th, until July 2027.

Local traffic will be detoured around the closure via U.S. Highways 61/151.

• Northbound traffic will enter the highway using the on-ramp at the intersection of 11th St. and Pine St., and will exit the highway at Kerper Blvd.
• Southbound traffic will enter at Kerper Blvd., and exit via the off-ramp for the 9th St./11th St. exit.

Motorists who wish to avoid using the highway may choose to utilize Elm Street and East 16th Street to travel around the closure, but freight and semi-truck traffic should follow the posted detour due to weight restrictions on Elm Street.

If residents have any questions regarding the closure and detour, please fell free to contact the City of Dubuque Engineering Department at 563-589-4270. Remember, these closure dates and times are estimates and are subject to change without notice based on weather and contractor schedules.

This closure is just one of the many steps in the $28.2 million project, which is part of the broader Bee Branch Watershed Flood Mitigation Project and includes building a new stormwater pumping station and installing four new high-capacity pumps, with a plan to double the current pumping capability. The upgrade is designed to improve the system that moves stormwater from the Bee Branch Watershed to the Mississippi River and protect more than 1,300 nearby properties from flooding during high river levels.