Chickasaw County road crew reports spring spot-rocking, culvert collapse and sign grant application

County road staff reported a busy spring work schedule at the March 31 Chickasaw County Board of Supervisors meeting, describing spot-rocking, blading, ditch work and an emergency culvert collapse that closed Cheyenne Avenue South near the railroad.

Chickasaw County Engineer Romalance reported crews hauled and placed rock on stretches including LaSalle from New Hampton north to 160th, portions of Akron Way (260 Fifth and 260 Seventh areas) and other spot-rocking locations called out in the report. Staff said the county planned on hauling more of its own contract rock this year and that crews worked Saturday to make routes passable.

Romalance told the board a culvert collapse just south of the railroad on Cheyenne Avenue South at 18 required immediate attention and likely will require coordination with the railroad because the collapse sits within railroad right-of-way. The report said the bridge crew assisted with debris removal and that the county would pursue emergency contacts with the railroad to address the site.

Staff also reported a sign order totaling about $11,000, of which $5,084 was for intersection signs the board assigned to secondary roads to maintain. The sign crew submitted a Department of Transportation sign-replacement grant; Romalance said the county previously received roughly $10,000 under the program but that awards are first-come, first-served and not guaranteed.

Other work described included snow-fence removal, ongoing ditching and erosion control south of 290th (described in the record as "Hasson Avenue south of 2 Ninetieth"), brush and debris removal on multiple structures, and continued shaping and hauling on routes near the county line where heavy manure-hauler traffic has affected gravel surfaces. Staff said there is no specific Iowa code that allows the county to seek reimbursement from private haulers for material placed on county roads; occasionally haulers contribute rock voluntarily.

Romalance and staff described routine paperwork for a bridge project (B-56 on 300th Street) that will be paid by the county and submitted for reimbursement under the county highway bridge program administered by the Iowa Department of Transportation. Board members were told payments for that project are expected before the fiscal year end and required corresponding state budget amendments.

The report was presented as an operations update; no formal motions were recorded on the item.