Landis Bridge is not a quick, cheap fix

     At a prior Jones County Supervisor meeting, the board asked the Engineer's Office to offer an estimate of what it would take to reopen Landis Road Bridge to traffic.

   Assistant Engineer Todd Postel spoke with a structural engineer at Origin Design…

   "We know it needs a new wooden deck," Postel said, a cost of $69,000 just for the materials (not including labor).

   Some testing also needs to be done on the bridge due to section loss. That fee could be about $130,000.

   The south pier also needs to be replaced at a cost of $189,000.

   "It all adds up," warned Postel, during the May 9 board meeting.

   Landis would need to be load tested, too.

   Looking back at his records between 1986 and 2007, Postel said it appears maintenance was done on the bridge about every 10 years. In 1986, $65,000 was spent on the bridge; $90,000 in 1997; and $50,000 in 2007. That year, a car struck the bridge, causing significant damage to the trusses. Landis was labeled as "structurally deficient."

   "In 21 years, we spent over $200,000," Postel said. "It could potentially cost $1.5 million to $2 million to fix it when it's all said and done, but only for five to 10 years. The steel (on the bridge) is rusted and wearing out."

   County Engineer Derek Snead said Landis Bridge is closed because a link failed and others are deteriorating.

   "Everything is connected," explained Postel. "If something breaks, it's like pulling a pin; it'll collapse rapidly.

   There are 28 miles of the Wapsipinicon River in Jones County. There are eight structures that cross the river, including Landis, which is currently nonfunctional. In comparison, the Iowa DOT maintains two structures over the Wapsi; one shared with the City of Anamosa.

   The Wapsi also runs through Linn County, and they have one less structure than Jones. Cedar County has one; Clinton has nine.

   "In 100 years or more, they built a lot of structures," Postel said. "There are a lot of crossings. We're not alone.

   "But it's not financially feasible to resurrect Landis," continued Postel.

   With two different detours, Postel added it's not that much farther for residents to drive 5 miles to Highway 64 and 2.5 miles to Lead Mine Road.

   "That detour," Snead said, "is only a minute or two."

   The Engineer's Office continues to look for grants to help fund a replacement project.

   "We'll have a crossing if we get the funds," offered Postel. "We recommend not spending a lot on the structure because in five to 10 years, we'll be coming back again. It's not an easy fix."

   "It would take us 35 years of saving bridge money to do the project," indicated Snead.