Des Moines County roads director updates board on Highway 99, bridges and challenging resurfacing projects

Des Moines County Secondary Roads staff briefed the Board of Supervisors on June 24 about ongoing resurfacing and bridge projects, fielding questions about unusual asphalt behavior in high heat, the status of two bridge projects, and a pending federal grant for a Beaverdale Road bridge.

The roads update said contractor work on Highway 99 included placement of a specialized flexible lift designed to minimize reflective cracking; the county received one landowner call reporting the new mat felt unusually flexible in high temperatures. The director explained that given moisture in underlying soils and the heat, "there was little pockets where steam was trying to escape and kinda like little bubbles" and that this behavior is consistent with the product in those conditions. He told the board he did not expect the condition to reduce the layer's long-term performance and encouraged the public to report observed anomalies.

Work on Minneapolis Road had previously used the same material with satisfactory results, the director said. Projects on Danville Road and Gear Avenue are progressing: approaches are completed, railings and small concrete items remain, and an opening for the Dura contractor is expected in mid-July, though heat has slowed crews.

The board heard that Seven Ponds Road (referred to in the meeting as "7 Ponds Road") is especially difficult because the roadbed is in very poor condition; the county removed shouldering from the contractor's scope and plans to perform lighter-weight shoulder work internally and with borrowed equipment to limit edge loading on the new pavement.

Staff also reported soil borings were completed at the Beaverdale Road bridge site and the county's consultant re-submitted a federal grant application after prior program pauses; the county hopes the grant could cover 80% of an estimated $1.2 million bridge job if awarded.

The board discussed an insurance claim and budget amendment to cover a destroyed robotic survey instrument (a "total station") that a trailer knocked over at an intersection; the replacement was paid by insurance but county accounting authority is being adjusted so the expense and revenue match.

Supervisors and staff reminded the public to report pavement failures promptly, especially during hot, humid weather, and to call dispatch or 911 for time-sensitive hazards. The board did not take a formal vote on new road policy at the meeting but accepted the briefing and instructed staff to continue project oversight.

Quotes in the briefing came from Secondary Roads staff and were recorded in the meeting transcript.