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Flood waters cover Dubuque Street near the Park Road bridge in Iowa City Tuesday, June 10, 2008. Flooding is expected to worsen in Iowa City in the coming days as water is predicted to top the emergency spillway at the Coralville Lake Wednesday morning. (Brian Ray/The Gazette)

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Park Road Bridge Could Open Next Week

By: Steve Nicoles, Reporter

By Steve Nicoles

Story Created: Jul 10, 2008 at 6:34 PM CDT

Story Updated: Jun 12, 2009 at 9:48 AM CDT

IOWA CITY - The final bridge affected by flood waters in Iowa City could reopen next week. A dive team was on the Iowa River by the Park Road Bridge Thursday afternoon investigating the bridge. This is Iowa City's last bridge to remain closed. Here is part of the reason: the piers are made of concrete and not steel. Iowa City's City Engineer says the way this bridge was built means it's more susceptible to problems. Ron Knoche says he thinks the bridge is safe. But the dive team did find a problem, so another team is going out to investigate on Friday. Knoche explained why it has taken so long for a dive team to get to the bridge. He said, “With water elevations and the flow being so high, the divers couldn't safely get down and do the inspection."

Cedar Rapids bridges re-opened a lot faster than any here in Iowa City. The water level went up and down fast in Cedar Rapids. But the Army Corps of Engineers kept pushing water out of the Coralville Reservoir to lower its level. So that meant higher water levels for a longer time down river.

Email Steve Nicoles at Steve.Nicoles@kcrg.com

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