BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) - Iowa’s Great River Road, a National Scenic Byway that runs through Burlington, has earned a new distinction by the U.S. Department of Transportation through the Federal Highway Administration.
On Feb. 16, the road, along with 14 other scenic byways, received the designation of All-American Road, the first such upgrade by the FHA since 2009.
“I think it’s outstanding, it’s huge,” Burlington Mayor Jon Billups told The Hawk Eye last week. “They don’t make those designations everyday. And it could very well mean it could increase tourism in our area.”
In 10 states, including Iowa, the road meanders along the Mississippi River offering travelers scenic beauty, archaeological wonders, charming towns, museums and recreation.
Billups hopes the road will be driven by many families seeking a break from being cooped up in the house due to COVID- 19.
Chelsea Lerud, director of the Greater Burlington Partnership’s Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, said the CVB already includes Great River Road in its promotional materials and that the road is heavily traveled in the fall as leaves change colors.
A draw for river tourists is the history and culture along the Great River Road. There are 79 museums stringed along the road from Park Rapids, Minnesota, to New Orleans.
Des Moines County recently was added to the previously 15 Iowa stops that have interpretive centers.
Three years ago, Lisa Walsh, vice-chair of the Mississippi River Parkway Commission of Iowa, the managing organization for Iowa Great River Road, filed paperwork to have the Des Moines County Heritage Center approved at the national level to be an interpretive center, which was free, except for a required $150 sign. There are four other interpretive centers in southeast Iowa - the Muscatine History & Industry Center, the Toolesboro Indian Mounds & Museum in Wapello, Old Fort Madison and the George M. Verity Riverboat Museum in Keokuk.
The new designation means access to federal grant funding. Congress’ FY 2021 stimulus bill included $16 million for byways - the first dedicated allocation of funding for the program since 2012. In Burlington, the Great River Road closes at Cascade Bridge, requiring its travelers to detour and potentially miss out on Crapo Park, its beautiful gardens and its 200 varieties of trees and shrubs. Walsh said the Mississippi River Parkway Commission believes access to federal funding is just what the project needs.
“I am so excited that this could help Burlington get the necessary grant money for the Cascade Bridge and other infrastructure projects,” Walsh said in a phone interview Friday.
Cascade was built in late 1896 for the Iowa semi-centennial celebration as a gateway into Crapo Park. The bridge, which cost a mere $14,000, was opened just a few days before the celebration. A few years later, the city spent $8,000 to do repairs. While city records show that work was done on the bridge several times throughout its 124 year life, the bridge eventually fell into a state of disrepair and was closed to all traffic in 2008. It was reopened for foot and bicycle traffic a few years later but was closed to all traffic again in 2019.
Assistant Director of Public Works Nick Mac-Gregor said it may cost about $7 million to replace Cascade Bridge, but other estimates put that number as high as $10 million.
Walsh said she and fellow committee members will apply as quickly as possible for funds available through the competitive grant program. The group then will reach out to the city and agencies such as Southeast Iowa Regional Planning Committee, Friends of Cascade Bridge and others so they can work together.
The Burlington City Council in January gave the green light to progress to the next step in replacing the bridge.
Viking Cruises, which has opened bookings for 2022 trip packages for Mississippi River cruises, with some already sold out, will have Burlington as a port of call, and it would be great to have the bridge ready by then, Walsh said.
As it stands, according to the city’s latest planning documents, the Cascade project is slated for Fiscal Year 2026, which begins July 1, 2025.
To receive the All-American Road designation, a byway must be nationally significant and have one-of-a-kind features that do not exist elsewhere.
It must provide an exceptional traveling experience so recognized by travelers that they would make the drive a primary reason for their trip.
Dubbed “The Best Drive in America,” the Great River Road is part of a 3,000-mile-long network of federal, state and county roads that travel along the Mississippi River, from northern Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico.
The 326-mile Iowa Great River Road traverses through the 10 eastern counties adjacent to the river, designated by the Secretary of Transportation as one of the country’s most important driving corridors.
The Great River Road enables travelers to access the stories of America,” said Anne Lewis, Mississippi River Parkway Commission Pilot and board chair. “From big cities to small river towns, through historic sites and interpretive centers, the Great River Road holds the history of America, from native people and immigrant communities to river industry and transportation, and from agriculture to river life ecology. This designation gives credence to why so many people choose to experience the Great River Road every year.”
In 2019 alone, travel and tourism generated $2.9 trillion in economic impact, according to the U.S. Travel Association.
Scenic byways contribute strongly and, in fact, the Iowa Tourism Bureau has recognized a growing attraction to scenic byways as a safe way for people to explore the state, by launching the Iowa Scenic Byway Passport Tour in January.
Walsh said tourism agencies such as the one in Muscatine have reported a burgeoning number of requests for materials from people interested in planning a road trip along Great River Road.
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