Recently, Cedar Falls wrapped up a massive project to annoy anyone who’s still interested in shopping at College Square by placing FIVE roundabouts on University Avenue. (Technically, it’s three roundabouts plus two almost-roundabouts at the IA 58 on-ramps, but they’re fundamentally equally infuriating.)
Now the city wants to drop five more on Main Street, while shrinking the roadway from four lanes to three.
According to the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier and KWWL, the council wants roundabouts on Main at Greenhill Road, by Fareway; Seerley Boulevard, the first intersection north of University Avenue; 18th Street and Waterloo Road, roads six blocks apart that converge just east of IA 58; and 6th Street, the south end of downtown. US 218 once turned off Main at 6th, and the city constructed a “parkade” that has the street weave left and right to have angle parking on one side or another.
The roundabouts at Greenhill and 6th were later additions. The Greenhill roundabout was approved this week.
KWWL says construction would not begin until 2023 at the earliest.
If all the plans go through, old 218 from downtown Cedar Falls to US 63 (Main and University) would have nine full roundabouts plus the almost-figure-8 at IA 58 by the end of the decade.