Supervisors review Johnson County secondary roads five‑year program and FY2026 budget resolution timeline
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Summary
County engineers reviewed a five‑year secondary roads program, maps and spending projections and asked the board to approve a FY2026 secondary roads budget resolution for submission to the Iowa DOT by April 15; staff will return with formal approval next week.
County road engineers presented the board with the department’s five‑year program, a countywide project map and a draft secondary roads budget for fiscal year 2026, and told supervisors the board’s formal approval will be included in next week’s meeting so the county can meet Iowa DOT and budget timelines.
Interim County Engineer Ed Bartels and other staff described a shift in emphasis toward “3R” projects — resurfacing, restoration and rehabilitation — to preserve existing pavement across more of the county rather than concentrating on fewer large reconstructions. Engineers said that approach allows more miles to be maintained in a given year because 3R projects typically avoid major right‑of‑way acquisitions and utility relocations.
The five‑year program annotated sections by calendar year (for example, 25B for 2025 projects and 27A for 2027), mapped bridges and structures, and categorized projects as reconstruction, 3R, chip‑seal/rock base, and maintenance rehabilitation projects (MRPs). Staff said that if the program is executed as drafted it would cover roughly 43 miles of paving, replace nine bridges and complete 11 MRPs during the five‑year window.
Engineers showed recent and completed projects — including a bridge replacement near Coo Falls Road, reconstruction on 500th and 40th Street and work on American Legion Road — and explained materials and techniques such as cold‑in‑place recycling and use of an “inner layer” to prevent old pavement cracking from reflecting to the surface.
Staff also reviewed a countywide right‑of‑way needs map required by the Unified Development Ordinance; the map shows corridors where future splits or subdivisions would be expected to donate additional right‑of‑way, typically to bring roads up to a 70‑foot total right‑of‑way standard for reconstructed routes.
Engineers said some bridge work has to be fast‑tracked in response to inspections that prompt immediate weight limits; the department noted three bridges currently being expedited, including one on Byertown Road with about 600 vehicles per day.
The board was asked to approve the FY2026 secondary roads budget as part of the county’s overall budget schedule. County staff said timing issues this year required submitting the secondary roads portion before the county’s full budget is finalized; the draft resolution will be presented for formal approval next week and then submitted to the DOT by April 15.
Ending
County staff will present the formal FY2026 secondary roads resolution for approval next week and will return to the board as needed on five‑year program tweaks after inspections, pending right‑of‑way and funding changes.
