Secondary Road five-year program sees modifications

Board of Supervisors
By: 
Kim Brooks
Express Editor

     Since the Nov. 23 Jones County Supervisor meeting when County Engineer Derek Snead presented a draft of the Secondary Road five-year construction program, some changes have been made.

     At the Nov. 30 board of supervisors meeting, Snead offered an update on the program following news about the RAISE (Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development) grant.

     The grant was to help cover the costs of the replacement of the Landis Road Bridge, at an estimated cost of $2.75 million.

     Jones County joined multiple other counties in Iowa in applying for the RAISE grant. Snead previously explained that whether the grant application was successful or not, it was all or nothing with the applicants.

     Unfortunately, the grant application was unsuccessful.

     “We plan to resubmit the same application in the next (grant) cycle,” Snead said

     He said with the passage of the federal government’s infrastructure bill, there could be some options for grants with this funding source as well.

     “That would be an additional application,” added Snead.

     With the RAISE grant, 68 different projects were selected throughout the country, totaling $93 million being handed out.

     “There weren’t a ton of rural projects,” noted Snead of reviewing the results. “Two-thirds of the projects awarded were awarded to rural areas in the past. Most of these projects are in larger metro areas.”

     The State of Iowa has also set aside $2 million in bridge funds. Snead said his office already submitted a grant application for that funding for Landis Road Bridge.

     Because of the unsuccessful grant application, Snead said that means the bridge replacement project slated for Fiscal Year 2024 will not happen.

     “We don’t have funding earmarked for the entirety of the project,” he explained.

     While it was listed on the program, that didn’t mean the county was footing the estimated $2.65 million.

     “It’s not on the program for funding that we have,” continued Snead. “It could be a 16- to 17-year wait if we just used our bridge funds.”

     The board asked Snead whether the cost would come down if he started pursuing right-of-way acquisitions now. He said ROW is only 5 to 10 percent of the total project costs associated with this project.

     “There’s no substantial savings if we get ROW ahead of time,” he said. “This project may not happen for an extended period of time.”

     Snead said they had high hopes the application would have been successful, and the news to the contrary is disappointing. He said several other counties were in the same boat as Jones County, and those projects will also not get done without grant funding.

     With Landis coming off the program, a bridge on Newport Road that currently has a weight limit posted was added to the list for FY 2025.

     “It’s a good idea to remove it (Landis) so no one has false hopes,” commented Supervisor Joe Oswald.

     A public hearing to approve the road program is still set for Tuesday, Dec. 14, at 6:30 p.m.

     The following is the updated proposed program:

Fiscal Year 2023

     • County Road E-34 from 230th Avenue to the city limits of Anamosa, HMA resurfacing, $1,750,000

     • Buffalo Road Bridge replacement over a small creek, $750,000

Fiscal Year 2024

     • County Road X-64 from Cedar County to Massillan Road, PCC overlay project, $4,000,000

     • 200th Avenue twin RCB culvert replacement, $350,000

     • 215th Avenue from 70th Street to Highway 151, grading project, $2,650,000

Fiscal Year 2025

     • County Road E-28 from County Road X-28 to the city limits of Anamosa, PCC paving project, $2,000,000

     • Newport Road twin culvert replacement over a small creek, $150,00

Fiscal Year 2026

     • County Road X-64 Bridge replacement project over the Wapsipinicon River, $3,500,000

     • Circle Drive from Highway 151 to County Road E-23, PCC paving project, $1,500,000

Fiscal Year 2027

     • County Road X-31 from the city limits of Anamosa to Old Cass Road, PCC paving project, $2,500,000

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