Roads Department: HC taking over maintenance on Van Buren County line

The Henry County Roads Department will be responsible for maintenance all the way to the Van Buren County line for the next five years.

On Tuesday, Oct. 23, supervisors approved a motion to rotate maintenance on the Henry County-Van Buren County line. The counties share the work of upkeep on the mile and a half of road and rotate the responsibility every five years. It is Henry County's turn to do general road maintenance. Any major construction such as even just rocking the road is a cost split between the counties.

Henry County Engineer Jake Hotchkiss said the maintenance is typically just general items like blading and snow removal.

Agreements with other counties bordering Henry County are more permanent because there is more road to share, Hotchkiss explained.

This week in road construction and maintenance, the department is waiting on the contractor to continue on Mediapolis Road. Iowa Bridge and Culvert is wrapping up work on 200th Street, and the county crew will start grading later this week.

A contractor is working on pouring footing later this week on Benton Avenue.

Employees with the Road Department will be sitting in safety training this week.

Last week, the Road Department focused their efforts on hauling resurfacing rock to New London Township, Wayne Township and Salem Township. They continued mowing shoulders, cleaned up around territory sheds and worked on signs in Mt. Union.

Friday, Oct. 19, road crews wrapped up major work on 130th Street and Gabriel Avenue intersection and opened it to traffic.