DES MOINES, Iowa — The Des Moines City Council approved an estimated $2.75 million project to improve a downtown Des Moines thoroughfare.

During a meeting Monday night, the city council voted to approve the project, which would reconstruct 2nd Avenue from Court Avenue to Interstate 235. According to council documents, the proposed changes, like reducing the number of lanes from four to three, are aimed at improving the safety of both motorists and pedestrians through the corridor.

The proposed improvements include:

• Resurfacing 2nd Ave. from Locust Street to I-235.
• Creating a consistent street cross-section of three travel lanes with parking by reducing and narrowing lanes from Grand Ave. to I-235
• Increasing the parkway width between the shared-use path and street by moving the east curb line along 2nd Ave. from Grand Ave. to Center Street.
• Installing curb bump outs to shadow parking and shorten pedestrian crossing along 2nd Ave.
• Removing peak-hour parking restrictions north of Grand Ave.
• Adding 37 on-street parking spots between Locust Street and Crocker Street.
• Adding a dedicated loading zone for Casey’s Center.
• Lowering the speed limit of 2nd Ave. between Watson Powell Jr. Way and I-235 from 35 mph to 25 mph.

Bids for the project can be submitted until November 4. A public hearing for the project will be held on December 8. Council documents say construction could begin as early as spring 2026 and be completed by spring 2027.

You can read the full project, which shows one of the proposed improvements, in the document below: