On Monday the University of Iowa began to take down the flood control walls surrounding Art Building West (ABW), a process officials hope to complete next week.

Meanwhile, removal of HESCO barriers around Mayflower Residence Hall is expected to begin Friday.

The UI anticipates removing remaining HESCOs—starting with those encircling several buildings on campus, and moving to those along the Iowa River—next week.

The southbound lane of Riverside Drive will be closed until the ABW wall removal is complete, although the northbound lane is open to alternating two-way traffic.

The goal, UI officials say, is to have affected buildings, pedestrian walkways, and landscaping restored before the fall semester, which begins Aug. 26. In addition to Mayflower and ABW, officials closed the Theatre Building and Music West (the former Museum of Art building) when the river began approaching flood levels.

The threat of flooding has subsided significantly since then. As of Tuesday, the Coralville reservoir was at 686.1 feet, down from 687.59 the day before, and well below the 712-foot top of the spillway. The Iowa River, meanwhile, is flowing at 6,750 cubic feet per second.

There was a chance of showers and thunderstorms Tuesday night that could deliver 1 to 1.5 inches, but the rest of the week is forecast to be dry.