Coralville plans new roundabout to address traffic, safety concerns

At the March 24 Coralville City Council meeting, the bid from Midwest Concrete Inc. was accepted to construct a roundabout at the Heartland and Commerce Dive. intersection.

Aviva Adams-Wilk, News Reporter

March 25, 2026

Sarah Hughes

Cars driving through a roundabout on Commerce Drive and Heartland Drive in Coralville, Iowa on Saturday, March 8, 2026. Coralville plans to build a roundabout near Costco in hopes to decrease the high rate of car crashes that occur at the intersection. (Sarah Hughes / The Daily Iowan)

A new roundabout is set to be constructed at the intersection of Commerce Drive and Heartland Drive in Coralville. The intersection has become increasingly difficult to navigate because of its proximity to Costco Wholesale.

The Coralville City Council awarded the contract for the project to Midwest Concrete Inc., located in Peosta whose bid of nearly $1.3 million was the lowest submitted and came in under the engineer’s estimate of about $1.45 million. The bid was announced at the Coralville City council’s March 24 meeting.

The single-lane roundabout aims to improve traffic flow and reduce crashes at an intersection that has seen 58 total crashes since 2020, according to data from the Iowa Crash Analysis Tool.

Those crashes included two serious injuries, four minor injuries, and 11 reported injuries that have been reported but aren’t readily evident, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation.

According to the Iowa Department of Transportation, the roundabout will join other recently constructed intersections in Coralville, including those along First Avenue and near Scotland Farms, as the city continues to shift toward roundabouts as a long-term traffic solution.

Zaid Alsamawi, Coralville assistant city engineer said the decision to construct the roundabout was largely driven by traffic demand and safety concerns.

“It has a lot of traffic,” Alsamawi said. “Vehicles entering from Commerce Drive into Heartland Drive have a difficult time making a left turn, specifically. It’s a busy intersection since Costco came in, and traffic demand increased significantly.”

Alsamawi said the intersection has one of the highest accident rates in Coralville, making it a priority for improvement. Residents have also raised concerns, citing congestion and difficulty navigating turns.

Iowa City resident Thea Basili said she regularly uses the intersection and finds it stressful to drive through.

“It’s really dangerous to use,” Basili said. “I worry someone’s going to get really hurt there at some point.”

Basili said she supports the roundabout and believes it will improve safety.

“I love all the roundabouts they put in. I want more roundabouts,” she said.

The project is funded in part through a federal Transportation Safety Improvement Program grant, which awarded the city $500,000. Other contractors, including All American Concrete Inc. and Streb Construction Co., submitted higher bids, according to the city’s bid tabulation.

Alsamawi said projects are selected for the federal grant based on factors such as crash data and the potential to improve traffic conditions.

Planning for the roundabout included a traffic study conducted by McClure Engineering, a consulting firm hired by the city. The study evaluated different intersection designs and determined that a roundabout would be the most effective option.

The study concluded that a roundabout was the best option to reduce traffic and accidents. Based on the Federal Highway Administration guidelines, roundabouts are considered very safe, Alsamawi said.

The intersection is controlled by stop signs, which Alsamawi said contribute to delays and increase the likelihood of crashes. Construction is expected to begin in late March.

The roundabout will be built in two phases. The first phase will focus on constructing the main roundabout and the south and east portions of the intersection, while the second phase will complete the north leg.

During most of the construction, the intersection will be closed. To enter Costco, visitors must use Coral Ridge Avenue and enter through the northern entrance off Heartland Drive.

The project is scheduled to be completed by mid-August, though Alsamawi said the timeline could shift due to external factors, including nearby construction as Costco expands its gas station and the need to relocate private utilities, such as a MidAmerican Energy gas line.

Despite those factors, Alsamawi said the project’s goal is to improve safety and traffic flow at the intersection.

“We aim for zero accidents and free-flow traffic,” Alsamawi said.