Funding and planning continue for secondary roads

MT. PLEASANT — Henry County Supervisors approved Secondary Roads requests to seek funding for one project and move ahead with construction planning for another as they look further into the future for roads throughout the county.

The supervisors approved a construction plan for Nebraska Avenue Bridge Replacement at their Tuesday, March 5 meeting.

“It is a Farm to Market project that is 100% funded through the bridge program,” County Engineer Jake Hotchkiss explained. “So, it won’t use any Farm to Market dollars.”

According to Hotchkiss, this project is for the bridge on Nebraska Avenue south of Winfield Avenue or 220th Street slated for a June letting. The letting date could possibly be bumped back to July, unless things change quickly. The start date for the project is expected for next spring.

“So, pretty much everything’s done,” Hotchkiss said. “It’s sitting there waiting on the right away plans to get back and then we’ve already sent out letters to landowners for right away. We’ll be setting up meetings to get together with them.”

Hotchkiss explained the importance of the project comes from the consistent agricultural use, need for repairs, and a desire to get rid of the posted limit on the bridge.

At the same meeting, the supervisors approved submitting a letter of support for the Henry County Secondary Roads Department applying for the Community Project Funding (CPF) program for Department of Infrastructure for Frankling Avenue.

Henry County Secondary Roads already have many letters of support but will gather a few more and hopefully submit that application soon as the application is due March 15.

According to Hotchkiss, this would be for additional money for Franklin Avenue.

“Last year we submitted for W55 (Franklin Avenue) going north of the bridge going to the intersection of 34 and then we also tried for a HUD grant going to the Big Creek Bridge,” Hotchkiss explained. “This year, we’re just looking at W55. So, we’re just going to home in on the transportation side.”

Hotchkiss stated that this application would request funding for a $3.1 million project, but the CPF project will only award 80% and the county will need to match the remaining amount.

“It can be any local match,” Hotchkiss said. “I think that’s one of the things about timing if we were awarded the project. We may have to be a little creative with our local dollars on the road side to make that work just with all the work that we have to do.”

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com