New Floodgate For NewBo/Czech Village

Piece by piece, flood protection is slowly coming together in Cedar Rapids.

The latest area where work will begin in March is in the NewBo district, near the "lion bridge." It's the area along 16th Avenue Southeast connecting Newbo and the Czech Village. The area will be closed while floodgate construction takes place, likely until this fall. Once it's done, it will protect up to 31.5 feet... 2008 flood levels.

Work is expected to move quickly and be done by fall. Detours onto the 12th Ave. bridge will be in place while it's in progress. The first phase of the floodgate project will be on the east side of the lion bridge and will start on the west side in 2022, according to CBS2.

Cedar Rapids flood control program manager Rob Davis said,

that allows us to do is close up that gap that we've built the wall up to on either side. So that will actually allow full closure. Currently, we have to put HESCO barriers across that.