Meredith Drive To Close Monday; Construction to Last All Summer

Meredith Drive is to be closed starting Monday for a widening project that will limit traffic on the major Urbandale thoroughfare throughout the summer, said City Engineer Dave McKay.

The first phase of the project to widen the east-west street from 86th Street to Northwest Urbandale Drive will begin just west of the Walgreens store at 86th and Meredith to 104th Street. 

The road work will be done in sections and is not expected to be completed until November. 

"It's going to take a long time this summer and it's going to affect a lot of people," said Urbandale Mayor Robert Andeweg.

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At completion, Meredith Drive will have four lanes of traffic with a median and left-hand turning lanes at key intersections. 

Initially, Meredith will be closed from 94th to 104th Street. Around Aug. 15, the city will be opening the south side of the road to through traffic, while crews work on the north side and then vice versa, said McKay.

The city rearranged the construction project so Meredith Drive would have two-way traffic by Aug. 15, in time for apple season, at the request of the Iowa Orchard at 9875 Meredith Drive.

However, Sarah VandeVoort, said the closure will adversely affect their vegetable market on the south side of Meredith this summer. The family lives and operates a vegetable garden in the old Farmer in the Dell preschool site.