Supervisors hear update on county road projects

The Montgomery County Secondary Roads Department is gearing up for a busy summer.
At the regular Board of Supervisors meeting on April 28, county engineer Karen Albert updated the supervisors on current activity in the secondary roads department.
“We hauled rock in the Morton Mills area and worked on paved road shoulders in the Wales area. We also cold patched M63 south of Stanton and have been prepping dust control areas throughout the county as well as conducting some equipment maintenance,” Albert said.
Additionally, crews have started on a modified work schedule that will be in place through the summer months.
“The field personnel started 10-hour workdays, 6 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. Monday through Thursday as of April 27. However, the office will continue to be open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. We will have some motor grader and heavy equipment training, more of an entry-level training,” advised Albert. “Since we anticipate some motor grader operators will probably retire in the next few years we’re getting some new ones trained and getting them out there and letting them practice.”
Albert also updated the supervisors on the progress being made on the low water crossing project on 210th Street.
“The contractor poured concrete on top of the pipes two weeks ago. They had been unable to work since then due to the rain. They poured concrete on the slopes last week, so everything is moving forward there, then they will do some grading work.
Progress has also been made on the Q Avenue and L Avenue projects updating the railroad bridges.
“The old railroad bridge is almost completely removed. They have some cleanup to do from the removal, and then they also started clearing and stripping topsoil in the areas to be graded. As far as on L Avenue, they just started taking the bridge planks off the bridge and moved the equipment to the side. Once the planks are off, then they’ll lift the structure,” explained Albert.
Also on the agenda was for the supervisors to discuss and approve the secondary roads fiscal year 2027 Iowa Department of Transportation budget.
“Our fiscal year 2027 IDOT budget matches our secondary roads county budget. They’re the same, we just have to have approval so I can proceed,” stated Albert.
The supervisors approved the 2027 IDOT budget as presented.
The last item on the agenda for secondary roads was for the discussion and approval of the county’s five-year roads plan.
“In the month of February, we have to do a five-year construction plan for IDOT. Typically on our five-year construction plans, the plans for next year, 2027, are somewhat set in stone. Everything else evolves based on whether we have the money and whether everything is going the way we planned,” said Albert.
Albert outlined some of the projects that are virtually a lock to begin in 2027.
“We have a bridge at 210th Street, which we’re hoping to let by the end of the calendar year, in 2026. It’s a qualifying bridge list federal project. There’s also a bridge that’s closed now on Ironwood north of 170th Street. We are planning to replace that with a pipe culvert, we’re working on easements for that right now. Then we have a bridge replacement on 270th Street and on 250th Street. Those are two bridges that are in a bundle project with the city of Villisca, and are QBL federal projects. Those are planned to go out to bid in September, and be let in the spring. The final project is the J Avenue box culvert. We’re just waiting on the design from the consultant, and then we will get a letting date, and hope to let that in the next fiscal year,” Albert advised.
As for 2028, Albert outlined some of the tentative projects they have planned, depending on timing and funding availability.
“We are planning on doing an overlay on M-47 north and on H-12. Then we have a couple bridge replacements on there on 242nd Street and on 250th Street, the Whigstone bridge. Those are QBL federal projects. On 120th Street between O and Pine Avenue, there are three pipes that we are hoping to replace with a beam bridge, using local funds. We also are planning an L Avenue box culvert project north of the railroad bridge so it’s not embargoed. On 270th Street there’s another bridge that we’re planning on doing, a QBL federal project,” Albert stated.
The projects in 2029 will depend on the projects that are completed in 2027 and 2028. Plans call for an overlay on M-63 north, center, and south, as well as an overlay on Viking Lake Road, the replacement of a bridge with pipe on 230th Street east of L Avenue with a county design and local funds, then a federal QBL project on a bridge on 110th Street east of B Avenue.
In 2030, Albert hopes to do two QBL federal bridge replacement projects on 20th Street west of G Avenue and 270th Street east of J Avenue. Bridge projects in 2031 include D Avenue between 200th and 210th Street, the 110th Street intersection of 110th Street and H Avenue, 150th Street between D and E Avenue, and W Avenue north of 110th Street. Howeverm Albert said things may be pushed back, depending on funding and availability.
The supervisors approved the five year roads plan as presented.