Nov. 19--WATERLOO -- A new downtown entrance and potential economic development driver was unveiled this week.

Contractors opened the new West Commercial Street extension, which cuts through the former John Deere Westfield Avenue plant, connecting the intersection of Highway 63 and the northbound U.S. Highway 218 on-ramp to the intersection of Commercial and Mullan downtown, near Young Arena.

"The new Commercial Street offers a western gateway to downtown Waterloo and all the new developments that are occurring downtown," Waterloo Mayor Tim Hurley said. "There are plans in place to add amenities and streetscaping to the entire Commercial Street corridor, making it a true east-west 'Main Street.'

"It also represents a new front door to the Deere Westfield site," he added, "and will serve a similar purpose for the Cedar Valley TechWorks as it grows and prospers."

Hurley also thanked motorists for being patient while the new road was constructed over the past year. Work involved some relocation on River Road, which also kept that thoroughfare shut down for a protracted length of time.

Cedar Valley Corp. was the prime contractor on the $5.7 million project, which included the road construction and storm water pumps. Funding included $2.4 million in city bonds, a $1.4 million Revitalize Iowa's Sound Economy grant, $1.4 million in local option sales tax revenue, a contribution from the TechWorks development and several smaller sources.

Deere has redeveloped its Westfield Avenue operations and donated a major portion of the remaining site, including buildings and cash, for development of TechWorks, a proposed bio-based agri-industrial product research, development and exhibition center. West Commercial will be the frontage road for most of the TechWorks' lots.

"It really opens up the campus atmosphere that we've been planning all along for the TechWorks area," said Steve Dust, president of the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance economic development group. "It also gives us the front door to our campus now."

Any businesses and manufacturing operations locating at TechWorks will have easy access for trucks and employees to the highway system without having to navigate downtown streets.

The pump station, which is about half of the overall cost, will help get storm water out of low TechWorks areas and into the storm sewer or over the levee. While the project was envisioned prior to the 2008 floods, engineers said the additional pump capacity will help during future high-river events.

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