In a significant development for the University of Iowa campus, a roundabout section of the first new road in over ten years has officially opened to traffic. This milestone comes nearly a year after construction crews commenced work, which included the pouring of pavement and the removal of 126 trees to accommodate the 1,500-foot roadway. The new infrastructure began welcoming vehicles on Wednesday morning.
A roundabout is being constructed as part of a significant $17.5 million initiative aimed at linking Newton Road to the University of Iowa Health Care fountain entrance. This entrance, located directly across from Kinnick Stadium, plays a crucial role as a transportation hub for patients, visitors, and employees.
The proposed infrastructure is designed to pave the way for a new adult inpatient tower. Documents from the Iowa Board of Regents suggest that this ambitious project could exceed $1 billion in cost and cover an impressive 842,000 square feet, representing a 66 percent increase in size compared to the recently established UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital, which opened seven years ago.
The university has announced plans to demolish both Hospital Parking Ramp 1 and the Wendell Johnson Speech and Hearing Center to facilitate the construction of a new tower. To ensure efficient access to the main health care campus during the anticipated years of construction, the establishment of a new road has become essential.
The roundabout officially opened on Wednesday, with ongoing construction on the new road expected to persist through the spring and summer, as reported by the UI Office of Strategic Communication. Plans are in place for the reinstallation of the sidewalk along Newton Road, anticipated to take place early next year.
A new bus interchange has been established next to the roundabout, designed to accommodate up to five buses simultaneously. This facility enables riders to easily identify the direction in which a bus is traveling.
Bus service for Cambus and city buses to the new interchange, as well as the existing VA Hospital and Hardin Library stops, is set to resume by December 23. This information comes from UI communications, which also highlighted that the project will enable the university to explore enhancements for bicycling and walking paths in the vicinity.
In the 2024 budget year, the UI Health Care enterprise, valued at $2.4 billion, recorded an average of 2.78 million annual patient encounters across its expanding network of campuses and clinics. The organization has set an ambitious goal to enhance its patient capacity by 10 percent by the year 2027.
The clinical enterprise boasts a workforce of nearly 20,000 individuals, which includes over 1,200 doctors and dentists, close to 800 resident and fellow physicians, and more than 5,300 nursing staff members.
In a significant development for the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, plans are underway for a new inpatient tower featuring multiple floors dedicated to 48-bed inpatient units. Earlier this year, the institution made headlines by acquiring the former Mercy Iowa City through a bankruptcy auction, which will now serve as a new downtown campus. In the upcoming months, a new hospital with a budget of $525.6 million is set to open in North Liberty.
The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics is undertaking significant construction projects, including the expansion of its Children’s Hospital, enhancements to its main emergency room, renovations of its labor and delivery area, and the development of additional facilities throughout its health and sciences campus.
