Waukee Looking Beneath Roads For Trail Connectivity

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Adding space between cyclists and drivers is the goal in Waukee, with planning underway to build several trail underpasses below city streets. One of those projects will lead to a cohesive connection between a local and regional trail.

Raccoon River Valley Trail and Heart of the Warrior Trail

The Heart of the Warrior Trail comes to a premature end just south of W. Hickman Rd. near NW 10th St. To safely cross the four-lane divided highway, cyclists can ride another spine of the trail north along 6th St. and use the controlled intersection at W. Hickman to connect with the Raccoon River Valley Trail.

“Currently it’s kind of chopped up, it’s not really a smooth direct connection today,” said Rudy Koester, public works director and city engineer for the City of Waukee.

Koester said the city plans to fix that problem with an underpass that will take the Heart of the Warrior Trail beneath W. Hickman and connect it to the Raccoon River Valley Trail north of the road. As the Raccoon River Valley Trail continues to the northwest past the trailhead, the city will dig another underpass at NW 10th. Cyclists currently ride across the road on the same level as vehicles.

NW 10th will be widened from a two-lane road into a four-lane separated boulevard around the same time the underpass is installed. The addition of more lanes makes it even more important for the city to take bikes off the road.

“It’s just a lot of conflict between the two modes (bicycles and vehicles). So it’s just to improve safety,” Koester said.

As part of the project, the trailhead’s east parking lot will be removed, and the west parking lot will be expanded.

Koester said that more than 80,000 people rode the Raccoon River Valley Trail through Waukee last year, so this project will be a much-needed improvement.

“I think it drastically enhances the experience for those users, specifically the trail users. It just provides that ability to transition from local to regional trails and do it in a safe manner,” he said.

Raccoon River Valley Trail riders will also have an easier way to get to food and drink options in the Waukee Triangle business district.

Koester said the city is currently working to secure money for the $15 million project. Construction is set to begin in fiscal year 2028/29.

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University Ave. Expansion

About a mile south of the junction of the Raccoon River Valley and the Heart of the Warrior trails, the city is at work on an even bigger project that also accounts for cyclists.

University Ave. will be extended between 6^th  St. and S. Warrior Lane, and will include new trails and six pedestrian underpasses. Here are their locations:

• Two underpasses at the future intersection of 10^th  and University

• Two underpasses at 6^th  and University

• One underpass beneath the future University extension at the Sugar Creek crossing

• One underpass below S. Warrior Lane just north of University

The city provided the map above to illustrate the underpass locations. Construction could begin in 2027, according to the city’s website.

The University Ave. extension is being built next to the future Waukee Civic Campus at 6^th  and University, where the city plans to one day locate its city hall, library, recreational spaces, homes and businesses. The city expects full development of this project to take 20 to 30 years.

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Final Piece

Yet another underpass will soon help Waukee connect to Clive’s Greenbelt, thanks to the Prairie Rose Trail, a new trail which is nearly complete.

Prairie Rose stretches from the Raccoon River Valley Trail near the Waukee Family YMCA, north to the area of NW Douglas Pkwy. and N. Warrior Lane. Eventually, the trail will link up with Clive’s Little Walnut Creek Trail, which is part of the Greenbelt Trail.

“We’ve been collaborating with Clive on the continuation of their Greenbelt. Right now it stops at Alice’s Road,” Koester said.

Here’s how that expansion will play out:

• 2025: Clive will rebuild the Little Walnut Creek Trail east of Alice’s Road.

• 2026: Clive will build a new extension of the Little Walnut Creek Trail west of Alice’s Road to the border with Waukee at N. Warrior Lane.

• FY 2027/28: Waukee will build a new bridge over the creek for N. Warrior, which will have the trail extension run beneath it. Waukee will extend the trail to connect to the north end of the Prairie Rose Trail.

Confused? Here’s the takeaway: Cyclists will have a much easier time getting around the north side of Waukee and accessing the Clive Greenbelt Trail.

Koester said all the underpass projects mentioned in this article are each small additions that add up to better biking in Waukee.

“It’s really fun to be a part of the team that ultimately puts those together, constructs them and then you get to live and experience and use them,” Koester said.

Getting Going!

Remember when I told you about the new Des Moines chapter of the “All Bodies On Bikes” non-profit? Well, they’re ready to roll! ABOB Des Moines is holding its kickoff and spring dust-off event from 10 a.m. to 1 pm. on Saturday at the south shelter at Water Works Park. You can find more info by clicking here.