Bluff Boulevard is a 100-year-old roadway. It wasn’t built for the amount of traffic it gets today. The underlying pavement is deteriorating and there are known safety issues at intersections. Instead of just fixing the pavement, we’re taking the opportunity to address root causes. The new road will be built to current design standards and improve safety for all users. We’ll also reduce stormwater runoff volume, improve water quality and install sidewalks and a bicycle route.

Bluff Boulevard’s original alignment was set at a diagonal, based on the existing bluffs. This is not ideal for the intersecting streets because it creates closely spaced intersections. New medians will allow the City to keep more of the side streets open. They will also allow the roadway to be narrower in some locations, reducing property acquisitions and preserving more of the bluffs.

Construction will happen in two phases:

            Phase 1: Manufacturing Dr: Spring 2024

            Phase 2: Bluff Blvd: Spring 2025

Not if we can help it! We will preserve them wherever possible. We’ll know more as we go.

The final project will include a mix of both roundabouts and signals. Both roundabouts and signals are tools that work best in certain situations. (For example, roundabouts do a great job of improving intersection safety.) We’re doing a careful study of each intersection and will use the right tool for each job.

One word: Safety!

Data shows that this change will significantly improve safety, thanks to a new center left-turn lane. Left-turning drivers will have better sight lines. This reduces collisions with oncoming traffic and pedestrians.

Clinton already has several streets that have been converted from four lanes to three. These include:

• 13th Avenue North (from 16th St. NW to N 4th St.)
• North 3rd Street (from 17th Ave. N to 25th Ave. N)

A shared-use path is essentially an extra-wide sidewalk. We’ll add one along Bluff Boulevard to create a safe space for pedestrians and cyclists. Eventually, it could connect to other sidewalks and future trails. This approach provides space for cyclists, with less impact on neighboring properties than widening the streets for bike lanes. Currently, there are no shared-use paths near the project.

Some mailboxes will be relocated as a result of the project – especially those currently located directly on Bluff Blvd. 

The timeframe for this change, and the exact new locations for mailboxes,  are still in progress.

If you’re a property owner with a mailbox on the street, you can expect a letter from the City in January, inviting you to a meeting about new mail collection options. 

For some homeowners, trash collection procedures will change as a result of the project. Anyone whose trash and recycling is collected along Bluff Blvd. may have the option to relocate their trash collection locations. 

If you’re a property owner on Bluff Blvd. with a steep front yard, retaining wall, or stairs, expect a letter from the City in January inviting you to a meeting about new collection options. 

No. The project is paid for by federal funds and local option sales tax.

If your property – business or residential – will be impacted during construction, you’ll hear from us both before and during construction.  We’re working on construction phasing plans that minimize disruption and maintain as much access to your property as possible. In the meantime, please continue to check this site regularly for updates. 

We are happy to discuss specific impacts to your property in more detail, either at a future open house or in a separate meeting. Please reach out with questions through our Contact Us form. 

Use the Contact Us form on this site. We’ll get back to you within 48 hours.