Downtown lighting project moves forward in Dunlap
By Jill Schaben
For the Harrison County Reporter
Work is officially underway on the next phase of Dunlap’s downtown lighting improvements, with boring beginning recently for the installation of new residential area light poles along Iowa Avenue.
The project will add 10-foot ornamental lights along Iowa Avenue from Eighth Street to 12th Street, continuing an e(ort to improve both the appearance and functionality of Dunlap’s downtown corridor. If work remains on schedule, the new lights are expected to be installed by mid-September.
The upcoming installation follows the addition of taller, 14-foot lights downtown in 2025. While those lights were designed to provide broader illumination along the corridor, the new 10-foot lights will bring lighting closer to the pedestrian level and create a more welcoming, residential feel.
Plans call for three of the new lights per block on each side of Iowa Avenue between Eighth and 12th streets. In addition to enhancing the appearance of Main Street, the lighting is expected to improve visibility for pedestrians, including students who regularly walk through the area on their way to and from school.
Funding for the 10-foot lights was secured through the Iowa West Foundation by the Dunlap Grants Committee, with the City of Dunlap partnering on the project.
The City is also building on the investment with a new addition for the holiday season. New LED snowflake decorations have been purchased to hang from the light poles along Main Street, extending the holiday display throughout the downtown corridor.
Together, the improvements are part of an ongoing e(ort to make Dunlap’s Main Street more attractive, inviting and functional for residents, businesses and visitors.
With steps now underway, residents should begin seeing the long-planned project take shape over the next several weeks, with the goal of having the new lights in place by mid-September.
