The Ottumwa City Council is moving forward with a feasibility study that will help determine the future of the Jefferson Street Bridge.
During Tuesday evening’s meeting, Phillip Burgmeier with the City of Ottumwa Engineering Department presented an agreement with Calhoun-Burns and Associates, Inc. for professional engineering services related to the bridge. The council approved the agreement Tuesday, July 21.
The study, estimated to cost $50,000 based on hourly rates, will examine several options for the Jefferson Street Bridge and provide the city with preliminary cost estimates and recommendations before officials decide how to proceed.
Because the Jefferson Street Bridge is considered a historic structure, Burgmeier explained that any project affecting it will require coordination and approval involving multiple agencies. A feasibility study is the first step in that process.
Engineers will look at several factors surrounding the bridge, including the levees, recreational trails, railroad, river flooding, nearby access roads and Bridge View Center. The study could also consider different bridge span configurations or the possibility of using multiple structures.
At this point, the city expects any future bridge project to generally follow the existing Jefferson Street alignment. Previous discussions ruled out significantly realigning the roadway or nearby intersections to coordinate with Iowa Department of Transportation work along Highway 34.
Several alternatives will be evaluated during the study. One option would leave the existing bridge in its current condition, while another would examine rehabilitating the structure. The rehabilitation option would include reviewing the bridge width, sidewalks and whether the existing trusses and girders could support a new bridge deck under current traffic-load requirements.
Additional alternatives will explore replacing the bridge with a multi-span, prestressed concrete beam structure. Engineers will consider options both on and off the existing alignment, as well as whether a single bridge or multiple structures would work best.
For those alternatives, the study will examine potential bridge lengths and widths, roadway reconstruction needs, estimated quantities, possible aesthetic improvements and preliminary construction costs.
Once the analysis is complete, Calhoun-Burns and Associates will prepare a feasibility report outlining the available options, estimated costs and recommendations. The engineering firm will also meet with city officials to review the findings and help determine the scope of any future preliminary design work.
After the city selects a preferred alternative, additional work could include more detailed historic, environmental and geotechnical studies.
The feasibility study is intended to give city leaders a clearer picture of the available options and potential costs before making major decisions about the future of the Jefferson Street Bridge.
Source: Ottumwa City Council meeting and City of Ottumwa council documents, July 21, 2026.
