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Board approves Muscatine County DOT FY2026 five-year program and secondary roads budget
Summary
The Muscatine County Board of Supervisors approved the county Department of Transportation’s FY2026 secondary roads five-year program and FY2026 budget after a detailed presentation by the county engineer on planned bridge, culvert and road projects across the five-year span.
The Muscatine County Board of Supervisors on Monday approved the county Department of Transportation’s FY2026 secondary roads five-year program and the FY2026 budget after a detailed presentation from County Engineer Brian and staff.
Brian, Muscatine County’s engineering representative, walked the board through the program map and the budget worksheet and explained how the DOT budget is structured into administrative/engineering, construction and roadway-maintenance categories. “The way the DOT budget works is we can under run any of those 4 categories as much as we want. We can overrun by no more than 10%. And then in the end, we cannot bust the overall budget number,” Brian said.
The board reviewed a geographically detailed five-year program showing multiple bridge replacements and pavement reconstructions. Projects highlighted for FY2026 included a twin box culvert on 160th Street (locally funded), the 120th Street and 180th Street bridge replacements (in design or under contract), and a Stewart Road PCC reconstruction project. Brian explained bridge funding sources and labeling used in the state system, noting that some bridge projects are shown with SWAP designations even though those funds are federal Highway Bridge Program (HBP) dollars.
Board members questioned cost estimates and detour impacts for projects on North Mulberry and a Portland cement concrete section near the county’s eastern border. Brian said one reconstruction segment is budgeted conservatively at about $2 million because the existing pavement is “completely shot” and will require full removal and rebuild. He described coordination with neighboring Louisa County and with Iowa DOT detour planning for Highway 6 closures.
Supervisors also reviewed a list of smaller “call” projects (culvert and small-structure replacements) and a set of longer-term bridge needs many years from replacement. Brian recommended supervisors consider field visits to embargoed or high-cost bridges to weigh options including realignment or vacation of rights-of-way. The board accepted the FY2026 five-year program and authorized the budget by motion and voice vote.
The board approved the program and budget; staff said maps and worksheets will be circulated to supervisors and that project phasing may be adjusted as federal and state funding awards are finalized.
