Jefferson County Engineer DeWayne Heintz presented the Jefferson County Board of Supervisors with a wide-ranging update on road and infrastructure projects at Monday’s August 3rd meeting, covering everything from a potential road closure over a collapsing century-old culvert to a new dust control product being tested for the first time in the county.
Hackberry Way Culvert and Possible Road Closure
One of the most significant items from Monday’s meeting was a deteriorating wooden box culvert on Hackberry Way just south of where 223rd Street and Hackberry T, north of Libertyville. Heintz said the culvert — which he estimates is approximately 100 years old and measures roughly 8 by 7 feet — is starting to collapse. Replacing it would cost tens of thousands of dollars, while closing the road would be significantly less expensive.
“Replacing an 8-foot culvert is tens of thousands of dollars,” Heintz said. “Closing it would be a lot less expensive, but it’s kind of up to you guys.” He noted that a bicycle path also crosses at that location, and that two homes in the area would be affected by a closure — one at the corner of Hackberry, 220th, and Hemlock, and another at 223rd and Hemlock. He said he had already spoken with Sean Morrissey at Conservation, who did not anticipate any major issue with rerouting traffic to a nearby road to reach the pavement rather than turning left onto the culvert road.
The board voted to place the matter on the August 10th agenda, with a public hearing on the potential closure of Hackberry Way tentatively set for August 24th Heintz said he will reach out to affected landowners before the hearing takes place. “I’ll reach out to the folks that live there and have property around it,” he said.
Grasstree Avenue Bridge to be Replaced with Low-Water Crossing
The board also discussed options for the Grasstree Avenue Bridge after the county rejected bids that came in at approximately 130 percent of budget — totaling around $800,000 in bridge funds — to replace a bridge that sees only about 30 vehicles per day. Heintz said a full replacement at that cost was not justifiable given the traffic volume.
The current bridge is rated at three tons, meaning a half-ton pickup cannot legally cross it. Heintz said the lowest-cost solution would be a low-water stream crossing similar to the one on Kale Boulevard, which would leave the crossing impassable during significant storm events. However, he noted that the road already floods during major storms, so the number of additional days when the crossing would be impassable would be limited.
“That is a surprisingly large drainage area on that little creek,” Heintz said. “When you get a gully washer, it has a heck of a lot of water running down through there. So even with three tank cars, you would still have times when the road’s not passable.”
One neighbor’s primary concern was the ability to cross with semis and livestock trailers. Heintz said the geometry of the topography at that location lends itself to a more gradual crossing than a standard low-water crossing, with less change in grade than what exists at Kale Road. “Where the road goes up now, we would stay more horizontal,” he said. The crossing would be poured thick enough to handle agricultural traffic — effectively a bridge deck across the stream at a much lower cost than an elevated bridge. There would be no railings on either side, consistent with other low-water crossings in the county.
Heintz said he will work up cost estimates for the different options for the board’s consideration. The project is unlikely to be completed this year given other projects already on the schedule.
New Dust Control Product Being Tested
Heintz said crews are mobilizing to Juniper Road to test a dust control product called dust pods for the first time in Jefferson County. The material will be injected into the road edges using a stabilizer pulverizer rented from Drish Construction, focusing on the stretch from Libertyville Road to the quarry road and another spot on 146th Boulevard — both of which see heavy truck traffic.
The product is the same one Van Buren County used on Eagle Boulevard last year, and Heintz said Jefferson County monitored how it performed before deciding to try it. “We’ll try that out and see how that works on stabilization,” he said. “We’ll see how it performs for a couple of years before we invest more in it.” The county has approximately $14,000 in material to cover both areas. “This is the first time we’ve tried it,” Heintz said.
117th Street Tank Cars Ordered
Heintz also confirmed the county has received quotes from several suppliers for tank cars needed for the 117th Street project, following receipt of the SIDCA grant. The county will order two tank cars from the lowest bidder, who came in under $20,000, for delivery later this summer when crews have time to get to the project.
Glasgow Road Shoulder Widening Grant Being Pursued
Heintz said he is working on a TSIP safety grant application to add a two-foot paved shoulder on Glasgow Road from Highway 34 east to however far the money will take them. The grant could cover up to $500,000 from the Iowa DOT for the project, which would help address areas where the shoulder is narrow and beginning to slough down. “If they’re going to give us up to a half a million dollars, that’s what we’ll run with,” Heintz said. He estimated the funding could get the county approximately five miles of shoulder, though he noted he would need to revise his numbers based on current oil prices.
Stockport Road Bridge Detour Coordination
Heintz also updated the board on coordination with Van Buren County regarding the detour route for the Stockport Road bridge project scheduled for next year. Van Buren County has agreed to handle any needed rock on their portion of the detour road. Jefferson County will be responsible for dust control in front of homes along the route, and will also handle tree trimming on the Van Buren County portion of the road since crews will already have equipment in the area.
Heintz also provided an update on ongoing remediation efforts on Pleasant Plain Road — you can read the full story here.
