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ConnectCR will revitalize the urban Cedar Lake and build a pedestrian/trail bridge over the Cedar River near the NewBo and Czech Village neighborhoods in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
ConnectCR is all about connections:
*connecting Cedar Lake to downtown
*connecting neighborhoods and the city with the ConnectCR Bridge
*connecting the Cedar Valley Nature Trail to the cross-country American Discovery Trail and the Great American Rail-Trail.
ConnectCR brings together two major projects in Cedar Rapids--the revitalization of Cedar Lake and the creation of an iconic pedestrian/trail bridge south of downtown. Cedar Rapids City Manager Jeff Pomeranz calls the project a game-changer:
"It's that quality-of-life amenity that Cedar Rapidians are going to be drawn to. We need these kinds of special places for our residents, for our businesses, and for our visitors."
The Alliant Energy LightLine will connect the NewBo and Czech Village neighborhoods and on a larger scale it will connect the east side and west side of Cedar Rapids. This pedestrian/trail bridge will span the Cedar River at the site of an old railroad bridge that was wiped out in the historic flood of 2008.
Cedar Lake is an urban lake located north of downtown and nestled in between Interstate 380 and the Cedar River. This lake is a nature oasis in the heart of the city and is home to many types of wildlife, including deer, fox, mink, pelicans, turtles and many others.
The bridge and the lake are connected by and build upon the momentum of the 3rd Street biking corridor. ConnectCR enhances the Cedar Valley Nature Trail from Cedar Falls to Iowa City. It also better connects our trail system to two coast-to-coast trails: the American Discovery Trail and the Great American Rail-Trail. This is an unprecedented opportunity to showcase Eastern Iowa to trail users from around the world and put Cedar Rapids and Iowa in the heart of the growing biking economy.