Mount Vernon Road's final full closure this weekend caps years of disruption for Cedar Rapids businesses

Cedar Rapids will close Mount Vernon Road from 20th Street to 26th Street this weekend for what city officials say is the last time. The contractor on the multi-year reconstruction is running ahead of schedule, eliminating the need for any further full shutdowns on a project that has already cost corridor businesses thousands in lost customers.

Dee Patel, who operates a gas station and other storefronts along the stretch, says traffic drops roughly 30 percent whenever the road closes completely. A median installed in 2023 blocks westbound drivers from turning into his parking lot, and the constant detours have worn down even loyal regulars.

"People be having a hard time to get into this property," Patel said. "Bills and expenses are going up and up, all the businesses around here."

The access issues recently drove out a tenant that had occupied one of Patel's spaces for 25 years.

City officials acknowledge the strain but frame the work as a long-planned safety overhaul. Matt Johnson, assistant director of Public Works, said in a statement that design plans have been in development for nearly a decade and incorporated feedback from corridor residents and business owners.

"We recognize that this also limits access to homes and businesses," Johnson said. "This is where the balancing act of safety, mobility, and access comes into play. By making reasonable modifications to street and business access, more traffic can safely travel along the corridor."

The current phase — pavement patching, water main replacement, new sidewalks, transit stops, ADA-compliant crosswalks, and curb-and-gutter work — runs from 20th Street east toward 26th Street under the city's Paving for Progress program. The Cedar Rapids City Council approved $7.2 million for this segment in February 2026. Work on the stretch is slated to continue into 2027, but without another full closure.

Johnson said the road has been fully closed three times during the project. Because the contractor is ahead of schedule, this weekend's shutdown will be the fourth and final one.