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Road to connect central Bettendorf to city’s east side

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By David Heitz | Sunday, July 20, 2008 |

If everything goes well, a long-awaited link connecting central Bettendorf with the city’s east side could be done before the snow flies.

The city will open bids this week on a project to extend Tanglefoot Lane, which ends at the Bettendorf Family YMCA, east to Middle Road. It’s a cross-town connection that has been four decades in the making.

Construction could begin as early as the end of August. Depending on the contractor’s schedule, the weather and other factors, there’s a chance the project could be completed by December, Public Works Director Wally Mook said.

“It should move rapidly because there’s very little earth work to do. If the weather cooperates and we get the right contractor, we should be able to get this done this year,” he said.

That’s good news to residents like Missy Dippel, who lives on the city’s east side but frequently travels to the city’s core. “I drive my kids around a lot,” Dippel said. “We go to Crow Creek Park quite a bit.”

She said she currently uses Tanglewood Road to cut across town, which she believes is dangerous. “Cars always pass you, there are no lane dividers, nobody follows the speed limit. ... It’s hilly and there are a lot of runners.”

Tanglefoot Lane will be constructed as a two-lane road with grading for a four-lane road in the future. The city budgeted about $2.3 million for the project, not including the cost of right-of-way.

Obtaining the right-of-way for the project has hung up the planned extension for years. The city could not come to an agreement with Harlan and Pat Sundholm, who own Tanglewood Pavilion and Tanglewood Hills Chapel. Pat Sundholm even was elected to two terms on the City Council in the 1990s, in part on an anti-extension platform.

The right-of-way was appraised last year by Nelson Appraisal of Bettendorf for $562,000, which the Sundholms thought was low. However, the city came to an agreement with the couple and closed on the property about two weeks ago for $750,000, the amount Bettendorf had budgeted for the acquisition. The new road will cross the Sundholms’ property but not disrupt their business or require the demolition of buildings.

Frank Klipsch IV., spokesman for the Bettendorf Family YMCA, said he believes the extension will give that facility more visibility and easier access. “Northeast Scott County is blossoming every day. We know we’ll see a lot of traffic coming through. We hope it brings us in connection with more people.”

Bill Connors, the city’s community development director, said a parcel south of the YMCA soon will be home to a new climate-controlled storage facility. He said he’s not sure the new road had anything to do with the development, but added, “I think the Tanglefoot extension is going to make north, south, east and west all that much easier.”

David Heitz can be contacted at

(563) 383-2202 or dheitz@qctimes.com.