Henry County approves rock quote

MT. PLEASANT — Henry County Board of Supervisors met with County Engineer Jake Hotchkiss Tuesday to discuss county roads updates.

Hotchkiss presented the board with four options for rock suppliers for 107,500 tons of product last week.

Option 1: Bruenning Rock Products, Inc. from Decorah at $751, 425

Option 2: C J Moyna & Sons from Elkader at $722,400

Option 3: Preston Ready Mix from Preston at $717,025

Option 4: Wendling Quarries from DeWitt at $833,125

All options were for the same amount of Class A road stone and stockpiled lime.

The Board approved utilizing the least expensive quote of Option 3 from Preston Ready Mix.

According to Hotchkiss, the roads department has chosen to purchase a smaller rock supply in hopes that inflation rates will level in the next few years to come, because prices have increased across all platforms so drastically over the last year.

“There is a lot of dust on the roads,” Henry County Sheriff Rich McNamee said of the roads Wednesday. “Although, it is raining pretty heavy now.”

During the last week of July, blade operators prepared gravel roads for a second application of dust control, the recent rainfall also will assist in dust control.

Dust control was specifically applied by Binn’s and Steven’s last Friday.

The Iowa Department of Transportation will reimburse work done by the county and dust control.

W55 north of Wayland, the county asphalt project will finish this week except for seeding.

Travel delays are resolved from Trenton to Highway 78 as that road work, including painting and rumble strips, were completed.

Progress continues to be made on the gravel shoulders on New London Road south and Oakland Mills road as the roads department arranged rental of equipment to apply the rock.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com