WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — The long, painful process of outfitting West Des Moines with fiber internet is rounding the final turn.

The city has finished its work on conduit lines along city streets and in front of homes, and now Google and other fiber internet providers are hard at work inspecting the conduit and filling it with the actual fiber lines that will connect to homes. The work began back in 2020 but has been delayed by supply chain issues and problems with the initial contractor. The drawn-out work along streets and in lawns has frustrated West Des Moines commuters and homeowners, and city leaders have gotten an earful.

“There were a lot of folks who were upset about having those conduits sticking out,” said City Engineer Brian Hemesath. “They had to mow around them, they had to work around them — some people even put Christmas lights on them because they were so frustrated. And I get where they’re coming from; we were frustrated too.”

Anyone still having problems with the work done along or inside their property line is encouraged to call the City of West Des Moines at 515-222-3578.

“If there’s not a contractor working on it currently, we can have our own public services folks go out and get that cleaned up for you, no problem,” said Hemesath.

Google Fiber is also being installed in the City of Des Moines. Over 3,000 addresses are already hooked up. Residents and businesses in the South of Grand and Sherman Hill neighborhoods were first to go active this summer.

Google says the work has now moved north of Interstate 235 and will continue through the winter, weather permitting. The four-year project is expected to be completed sometime in late 2026.

To find out when Google Fiber will be available at your home, go to www.Fiber.Google.com  

Other service providers will use the conduit lines in Des Moines and West Des Moines as well to provide customers in both cities with additional choices for fiber internet.