Henry County to apply for RAISE Grant

MT. PLEASANT — County Engineer Jake Hotchkiss explained grant funds and recent road crew work at the Board of Supervisors meeting.

During Hotchkiss’ weekly update with the county Board of Supervisors, he informed them of plans to apply for grant funds to use on Henry County’s bridge.

According to Hotchkiss, earlier this month, a committee met and selected bridges to include in the RAISE grant, and they decided to include Henry County’s bridge.

“RAISE Grant is under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act also known as “Bipartisan Infrastructure Law” or BIP Federal Funds,” Hotchkiss said. “This grant targets infrastructure improvements that will improve safety, environmental sustainability, quality of life, mobility and community connectivity, economic competitiveness, and several other items.”

According to Hotchkiss, the county will submit the bridge west of Mt. Pleasant on 235th Street for RAISE grant funds.

“Over the next two months we will be working with a consultant to prepare a joint county application to replace several bridges in the State under this grant,” he said. “The RAISE grant has $1.5 billion available, and we will be competing with the whole country for these funds so the process will take some time.”

“If awarded funds, work on our bridge won’t happened for at least 2 years at the earliest,” Hotchkiss said.

As for current road maintenance, Henry County Road Crews continued their work to maintain safe road conditioners.

According to County Engineer Jake Hotchkiss, crews spent time bump grinding on Oakland Mills Road and Salem Road West of Salem.

“Bump grinding is a rotary tool we use to grind bumps on paved roads to smooth out the ride at a transverse joint,” Hotchkiss explained.

That same stretch of road West from Salem also received maintenance edge rutting, which, according to Hotchkiss is simply filling the shoulder to meet the edge of the pavement.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com