City of Lansing officials request property owner assistance to locate underground coal chutes in consideration of Main Street reconstruction project slated for 2028
Inventory storage area was once a coal reservoir ... Photo above shows the former coal reservoir area that still exists underneath the Welsh’s Village Farm & Home location on Main Street in Lansing and is currently used for storage of certain inventory. Rick Welsh of Welsh’s Village Farm & Home says the manhole cover used to access the coal chute that was previously utilized to fill the coal reservoir still exists in the sidewalk that runs in front of the store, as do others along Main Street. The City of Lansing is asking Main Street/Iowa Highway 9 property owners from 7th Street to Hale Street to notify the Lansing City Clerk’s Office (by phone at 563-538-4757 or by email at lansing52151@yahoo.com) of any such coal chutes or other voids that may be underneath their sidewalk by Tuesday, July 15 in an effort to examine those voids as part of the planning process for the anticipated Main Street/Iowa Highway 9 reconstruction project to be undertaken by the Iowa Department of Transportation in 2028. Submitted photo.
Contact Lansing City Clerk’s Office prior to July 15 to have coal chutes documented or questions answered
by Joshua Sharpe
The City of Lansing is seeking assistance from downtown property owners in preparation for a significant infrastructure project slated for 2028. The upcoming full reconstruction of Main Street, designated as Iowa Highway 9 through downtown Lansing, includes not only roadway resurfacing but also the complete removal and replacement of sidewalks.
In preparation for the project, City of Lansing officials, in partnership with the Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT), are requesting that property owners along Main Street, between Hale Street and Seventh Street, assist in identifying and documenting the presence of any underground coal chutes or structural voids beneath the existing sidewalks. This outreach is crucial to the successful implementation of the State-led resurfacing project, which is currently in its early planning stages and scheduled to be implemented in 2028.
The City has emphasized that accurate mapping of these underground features is necessary to ensure safety and avoid delays during sidewalk excavation and replacement. Because no complete historical records or maps exist that show locations of these coal chutes, the cooperation of building owners and business operators is vital. Identifying these voids in advance allows engineers to adjust sidewalk design and excavation plans accordingly.
CONTACT THE CITY BEFORE JULY 15
IDOT has scheduled a site inspection visit to Lansing for mid-July 2025 as part of its field examination planning process for the upcoming project. In preparation for this, Lansing’s city staff is compiling a list of properties that are known or suspected to contain coal chutes or other subsurface features.
Property owners are asked to contact the Lansing City Clerk’s Office (by phone at 563-538-4757 or by email at lansing52151@yahoo.com) before Tuesday, July 15 to report any known coal chute locations and allow access for a brief structural inspection. The inspections are intended to be non-invasive and will help engineers understand the size, depth, and reinforcement conditions of any voids present beneath the Main Street sidewalks.
MAIN STREET PROJECT TIMELINE
The broader resurfacing project is part of the Iowa DOT’s 2024–2028 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), which includes a significant investment in urban highway corridors, such as Lansing’s Main Street/Iowa Highway 9. According to project documentation, preliminary engineering plans - referred to as “Field Exam Sheets” - are scheduled to be finalized by September 2025. Right-of-Way (ROW) acquisition for sidewalk and street modifications is expected to be completed by February 2026.
The community will have the opportunity to review near-final plans in late 2027, ahead of a scheduled bid in February 2028. Construction is anticipated to begin shortly thereafter and will include the removal and replacement of full-depth pavement, the installation of upgraded sidewalks with ADA compliance, curb reconstruction, drainage adjustments, and the installation of stormwater management features.
To read the full article, pick up the Wednesday, July 2, 2025 print edition of The Standard or subscribe to our e-edition or print edition by clicking here.
