Washington County gets funds for high-traffic road

WASHINGTON — Paperwork for a $500,000 check from the Iowa Department of Transportation was approved by Washington County Supervisors Tuesday morning, with plans to pave 2-foot and 4-foot shoulders along a roughly 3-mile stretch of County Road G36, also known as 220th Street. The roadway is a commute route for many who travel between the city of Washington and Johnson County to the north.

Washington County Engineer Jacob Thorius said upgrades would make the high-traffic road considerably safer. The affected area ranges from Redwood Avenue east to Highway 218.

“A lot of, especially semis and trailers, drop off,” he said. “That stretch of G36 is a little of an S-curve. We’re trying to correct some of the safety concerns that arise from all of the vehicles on that road.”

While unpredictable material prices complicate project cost estimates, Thorius said he hoped the DOT money would cover around half of the county’s expenses.

The county decision-making board voted to acknowledge the funding agreement Tuesday morning, and plans to formalize it with a resolution at its meeting next week.

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