County highway director proposes easement, bridge overlay to manage recurring log jams on County Road 125 East

Nate, highway department staff, told the Adams County Commissioners on a recent meeting that state and county road projects will proceed while the county pursues a low-cost, long-term strategy for recurring log jams at County Road 125 East (Bridge 162). Nate said he issued a notice to proceed to the state contractor for a separate NDOT highway safety improvement project now that the purchase order and funding are active. He said work will “kick in in earnest” for the remainder of this year and next year. The larger local issue discussed was a narrow rural bridge on County Road 125 East near the Jay County line where logs and debris repeatedly collect. Nate said consultants had given widely varying cost estimates for a study — from about $10,500 up to $85,000 — and several engineers said raising the roadway through IDEM and DNR floodplain permitting would be unlikely to meet the agencies’ 0-net-impact standards. “Nobody is able to really prove that raising the road wouldn’t hold water back,” Nate said, summarizing consultant feedback. He recommended instead keeping the bridge as a multi-span structure, scheduling an overlay on the bridge deck (which he estimated has 18–20 years of wear remaining), and securing a recorded easement on adjacent property to allow debris removal, temporary storage and disposal. Commissioners asked whether the county had discussed the easement with the property owner; Nate said he would approach the landowner, offer compensation if needed and draft the agreement. He emphasized that easement acquisition would avoid repeated planning costs and better secure long-term access: “We have an agreement with the property owner now for that use, but we don’t have anything in long term writing.” Nate said there is an existing log jam photographed in April and this would be at least the third major removal this year. He suggested grinding or mulching removed logs for disposal but said options — including controlled burning — remain under review. Separately, county staff reported that the 700 South (County Road 150) reconstruction contractor will extend the schedule roughly a week after geotechnical testing found soft base material; officials said they will spend more to rebuild the base and complete the work properly. Chip-seal work elsewhere is proceeding while weather permits, and Oak Street will be repainted after crews return to finish striping. No formal motion to acquire an easement was made at the meeting; Nate said he will work with county survey and legal staff and present a drafted easement or purchase agreement to the commissioners for action.