County engineer, supervisors discuss accesses onto state highways

     During the Oct. 29 Jones County Supervisors meeting, the board heard an update on an access project off Highway 151.

   County Engineer Derek Snead asked the board to approve a request from the Iowa DOT on a proposed entrance onto the highway from 13504 Highway 151, Anamosa, Lubben Vineyards & Wines.

   "The recommendation they (the DOT) have for the access was to have the property owners install an asphalt widened shoulder," explained Snead. "It'd be a 10-foot shoulder with 185-foot of approach to that access. The access would then be paved with radiuses included in that paved access. It'd also be paving of the median."

   Snead told the board that the DOT performed a traffic study and investigated this particular intersection and the Lubbens' business, which opened earlier this fall.

   "They had visits with the property owners to develop what type of traffic they'd be looking at," continued Snead as to how the DOT came up with the recommendation they did.

   Based on the type of business, size of events held at the location, and volume of people these events would generate, the data all goes into a table to configure the type of access needed.

   The current access coming off the highway and going back on is known as "Type C."

   "That just means it's residential or farming activity," Snead said. "Generally, they don't see much traffic, one or two vehicles a day."

   The next level for access is "Type B."

   "That's when you get into more frequent visits to businesses," added Snead.

   Lubben Wines would fall between a Type B and a Type C.

   "It's not a regular business that has multiple vehicles going in and out every hour," Snead said. "It's typically constrained to events. Generally it's the hour before and the hour after the event starts."

   Snead shared that the Lubbens plan to abide by the regulations for a Type B access "in the essence of safety" for the public and travelers along 151.

   "They'll need to get an alteration of right of way permit," he said of the next steps in the process. "Hire a contractor and get the product out there based on DOT standard specifications."

   Judy Lubben, who owns Lubben Wines with her husband Dan, was present at the board meeting. She said they have until Nov. 1, 2025, to complete the access project.

   "We have to get bids in," she told the board. "It won't be done before winter, but early spring."

   Snead said the county won't have much involvement, if any, in this project because it's off a state highway, not a county roadway.

   "Anytime an access connects with a state highway within a county, moving forward," he shared with the board, "the DOT is going to be requesting (formal action) from the board of supervisors."

   He said two years ago, the DOT re-modeled and updated their access manual of the various types of accesses onto a state highway.

   "It's a little more in depth than it was before," Snead said. "It's a good thing to analyze this a little bit more strictly."