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Iowa Avenue pedestrian tunnel to be replaced this summer; Riverside bridge project paused

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2 years ago

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Iowa Avenue pedestrian tunnel to be replaced this summer; Riverside bridge project paused


Repairs are coming to the Iowa Avenue pedestrian underpass this summer, months after it closed to the public.

The route allows residents and students to pass underneath the road near the intersection with Riverside Drive, where there is no crosswalk. It was closed in August 2023 after an inspection found the pathway approaching the underpass was deteriorating.

There also was significant cracking in the underpass, shown in photos posted on social media in the days leading up to the closure. The project will cost the city roughly $225,000.

More: Iowa Supreme Court rules for University of Iowa, reverses $12.8 million payment to contractor

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The railings on the adjacent spiral walkway and on the nearby pedestrian bridge over Riverside Drive were set to be replaced, as well. However, delays in acquiring the needed steel would put that $1.25 million project outside of the summer timeframe.

The bridge is not structurally deficient and does not pose any risk to pedestrians using it or vehicles below, City Engineer Jason Havel said.

The university had asked the city to complete the work on the bridge during the summer as it receives heavy use from students and the community when school is in session.

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Under a two-decade-long agreement between the city, the state Department of Transportation and UI, Iowa City and the university will each be responsible for 25% of the cost of the bridge work, or $312,500 apiece.

The project is expected to be bid later this year to provide additional time for a contractor to order the steel. Construction will then begin in summer 2025 and is slated for completion before the start of the 2025-26 academic year.

Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached at rhansen@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ryanhansen01.



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Iowa

Highs and Lows From Iowa’s 8-4 Season

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1 hour ago

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November 29, 2025

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Highs and Lows From Iowa’s 8-4 Season


An 8-4 record is nothing to be disappointed with, but it sort of feels like that record doesn’t indicate how good the Iowa Hawkeyes truly were this season. With their 6-3 B1G record, they were only three plays away from going 9-0 and being a sure-fire candidate to make the College Football Playoffs.

While Iowa had plenty of dominant wins this year, beating bad teams isn’t necessarily the most fulfilling thing in the world. Beating good teams is, and that’s something Iowa failed to do not once, but four times. One could argue that Iowa State isn’t even a good team, though they were ranked when the Hawkeyes went to Jack Trice Stadium at the beginning of the year.

The CyHawk rivalry is no joke, and once again Iowa State got the best of Iowa. At the time, the Cycoles were ranked No. 16. A ranked loss didn’t look so bad on Iowa’s record, but their offense was sluggish as their defense failed to get a stop when they needed them to the most.

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Sure, Iowa State was coming off a ranked win over Kansas State, but the Wildcats turned out to be horrible. The Cyclones weren’t much better, and they’ll have a chance to end their season with the same record as Iowa.

If there was ever a way to follow up on the Iowa State loss, it was by scoring their most points since October 1, 2021. Iowa dropped 51 on Maryland on that night four years ago, but their dominant victory over UMass was just the beginning of a few blowout victories where Iowa had pleasure in running up the score.

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This game will go down as the biggest “what if?” of the season. Had quarterback Mark Gronowski not gotten hurt, would Iowa have been the one team to take down the Hoosiers this season? It sure seemed like it. Other than only beating Penn State by three, this 20-15 loss was Indiana’s closest game of the season.

Iowa had a chance to go into halftime up 13-7, but a blocked field goal changed the course of the game. The Nittany Lions, down QB Drew Allar and without head coach James Franklin, led Iowa, 21-10. Somehow, the Hawkeyes were able to work some late-game magic, something that later reappeared against Michigan State. Regardless, taking down the Nittany Lions was huge, no matter how shorthanded they were or what their record showed.

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The Hawkeyes had not one, but two chances to punch their ticket to the CFP. Even though they lost to Oregon, the CFP dropped them only one spot. They had a chance to go to Los Angeles and take down USC, something they once again failed to do. Time and time again, Iowa loses big games. There’s no doubt they’ll look back on this season and wonder what could’ve been as their four losses are by a combined 15 points. It’s tragic, to say the least.

While Iowa vs. Nebraska isn’t a true rivalry due to how one-sided it’s been in recent years, it sure felt good to see Iowa go out with a win like that. They dropped 40 points for the third time this year, something that older teams couldn’t even dream of. It was a great season, no doubt, but this could’ve been the one chance the Hawkeyes had to make a deep run.

Don’t forget to bookmark Iowa Hawkeyes on SI for the latest news. exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage and more!





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Day before helping Iowa beat Nebraska, Aaron Graves became a father

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19 hours ago

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November 28, 2025

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Day before helping Iowa beat Nebraska, Aaron Graves became a father


Aaron Graves had a message for his wife Aubrey before departing for Iowa football’s rivalry game against Nebraska.

“I was like, ‘I’m not leaving you here in the hospital to lose,’” Graves said. “So I was like, ‘We better win this freaking game.’”

Graves echoed a similar sentiment to his fellow defensive linemen before the first drive of the Hawkeyes’ game in Lincoln.

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“I was like, ‘Guys, I did not leave my baby in the hospital to lose this game,’” Graves said. “‘So we better freaking come out firing on all cylinders.’”

On Thanksgiving Day in 2025, Grayson Knox Graves was born at 3:07 p.m. On Black Friday in 2025, Graves helped Iowa beat Nebraska 40-16.

“The last 24 hours are probably the craziest of my life, for sure,” Graves said.

He added: “Just like the emotions of all that in the 24-hour time span is just ridiculous. I mean, last (regular-season) game as a senior, getting the win here in Nebraska and wife, obviously, giving birth to our boy, our first-born of our family.”

Aubrey went into labor on Wednesday. There was uncertainty whether Graves would even make it to Friday’s game if she had not yet given birth by kickoff. But those within the program provided support, including head coach Kirk Ferentz.

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“He was just super happy for us, called us a bunch of times while we were in the hospital,” Graves said. “It was really just about Aubrey’s well-being and how we’re doing as a family. It was nothing like, ‘You better get to the game, too.’ It was just, ‘How are you guys doing?’ He just cares so much about his players, and you can’t ask for a better coach.”

Gestures like that speak to why Graves ended up at Iowa in the first place.

Once a high-profile prospect from Southeast Valley High School in Gowrie, Graves made his college decision long before signing day. Even though he was a member of the 2022 high school class, Graves committed to the Hawkeyes in June of 2019.

“Incredibly grateful,” Graves said of Ferentz’s support while Graves’ wife was in labor. “People ask me all the time like, ‘Why did you choose Iowa so young?’ That’s why. Because I get to play for an awesome man.”

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Grayson was due in January of 2026, which could have brought a different set of challenges with the timing of his birth.

Graves is a finalist for the 2025 William V. Campbell Trophy, given to college football’s premier scholar-athlete. He is scheduled to attend an awards dinner in Las Vegas on Dec. 9. Plus, the Hawkeyes are likely to play their bowl game around the new year.

“Something that we’ve been praying about for a long time is just the timing of Grayson,” Graves said. “Because we didn’t know, like with the bowl game, how all that was going to work and going to Vegas here in a couple of weeks for the award banquet. Aubrey was going to stay home and she was really stressing about that, and I know that’s been at the top of our prayer list for a while. Both of our moms have been praying about good timing on it.”

It turned out to be fitting that Grayson was born on Thanksgiving Day.

“It was kind of funny because we found out on Easter that we were having a baby, and then he was born on Thanksgiving,” Graves said. “So my mom was like, he must really like holidays.”

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Video: Aaron Graves became father the day before helping Iowa beat Nebraska

Aaron Graves meets with media after Iowa football’s 40-16 win over Nebraska.

Graves did not travel with the team to Nebraska. Iowa general manager and chief of staff Tyler Barnes stayed back with Graves. They flew on a donor’s plane to Nebraska, arriving around 10 p.m. the night before the game.

The game against Nebraska was Graves’ 51st appearance as a Hawkeye. He has been a consistent force on the Hawkeyes’ defensive line, starting each of the Hawkeyes’ last 25 games.

Iowa did not come out firing on all cylinders against Nebraska like Graves wanted. Nebraska running back Emmett Johnson shredded Iowa on the ground in the first half, rushing for 177 yards before the halftime break. Iowa led by eight points at the intermission.

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“Just some guys getting out of the gaps a few times,” Graves said. “That was the main part. In the second half, it was more just, we need to tackle this guy. We need to wrap him up and actually get him to the ground. Stay in your gap and then get off the ball when he actually gets to your gap.”

It was an entirely different story after halftime. As a team, Nebraska totaled just 42 rushing yards in the second half. Iowa’s offense piled on points as the Hawkeyes turned the game into a blowout. Graves finished the game with two tackles and one pass breakup.

“Hats off to them, they’ve got a really good player in the backfield (Emmett Johnson),” Graves said. “He’s a great player and he made some good plays, but we kind of rallied there and found ways to stop him. That’s something that we like to take pride in, stopping the run.”

Grayson was on Graves’ mind quite often on game day. Asked what in particular he was thinking about, Graves got choked up and could barely muster a response. But he did get out a few words.

“Just how much I love him,” Graves said.

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Graves followed through on his word: He didn’t leave his wife in the hospital to lose. 

Iowa won the freaking game.

Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com



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Iowa wrestling transfer eyes national title after Division III success

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2 days ago

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November 28, 2025

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Iowa wrestling transfer eyes national title after Division III success


IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – Iowa wrestling is hoping to break through and win a national title, as they want to every year.

In the 197-pound weight class, there’s one former Wartburg competitor that might be able to contribute towards that. Massoma Endene is now a Hawkeye, coming to the black-and-gold following a national champion three-peat in Division III at Wartburg.

He’s reached one of the pinnacle programs of college wrestling, and has the same thing on his mind.

“My goal is to be a National Champion again,” Endene said.

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Stepping up to Division I competition

Head coach Tom Brands knows it’s a tougher test.

“This is big boy now. Not saying that his accomplishments are little boy. But he has, you alluded to his skill level. He’s tremendously athletic and gifted. There’s a lot of things that he does very well on the mat. I think that he knows that he has to up it,” Brands said.

Endene might be able to improve quickly just like he’s done his whole wrestling career.

He didn’t start the sport until high school, and might never have if he was a bit better on the pitch.

“I wasn’t the greatest at soccer. I had to switch to a different sport. My brothers were really good and they kind of told me like, ‘Hey it’s probably not the sport for you,’” Endene said.

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Making up for lost time

What the transfer lacks in experience, he gains in the determination to catch up to more veteran wrestlers.

“They’ve been wrestling their whole lives, but I think the fact that we’re here at the same level, it doesn’t really matter. I’ve put the same amount of time, if not more. I believe I put in more time than most of these guys. To me, that’s not really a barrier, it’s just another thing I want to achieve,” Endene said.

Even if there was a barrier, he’s blasted through it.

His last second comeback against an All-American last week proved it.

Unexpected opportunity

But all this almost never happened.

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Endene competed at the junior college level that used to cost a year of eligibility.

He was surprised this offseason, when he found out that was no longer the case and he had another shot.

“Then I learned about the year that I actually do have. So then I was like, ‘Well college for another year isn’t too bad.’ So I just did that for one more year, and ended up at the best college,” Endene said.

Endene will look to once again be the nation’s best at 197 pounds.

Copyright 2025 KCRG. All rights reserved.

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