Road and Bridge Director Jim Meyer told the Harvey County Board of Commissioners on May 28 that the county completed replacement work last year but still faces a large backlog of bridges and pavement projects that will require multi‑year planning and state grant applications.

Meyer said crews completed several replacement projects and kept routine work within budget, but that recent bids and inflation mean the county will face a heavy capital need in coming years. "It was a good year in not only completing projects, but doing so to budget," Meyer said. He added that two 2024 bridge replacements came in at bid price but that future projects may not be affordable without outside funding.

The director told commissioners he has submitted multiple applications for federal and state bridge funding programs and will continue to pursue those grants. Meyer listed a set of priority structures — including K 26.75 (Northeast 12th) and a long bridge on Southwest 14th near the asphalt plant — as the most urgent, and said one large bridge project could cost in the hundreds of thousands or millions depending on scope and program matching requirements. "One of our longer ones… is not in good shape," Meyer said of the Southwest 14th bridge, and he warned that heavy truck traffic nearby makes replacement a higher priority.

Meyer outlined a goal to maintain a 7‑year pavement rotation (about 23 miles per year) to preserve road life. He also presented a CIP schedule that anticipates major purchases and replacements in 2027–2030, including a planned $800,000 landfill compactor replacement and a bulldozer. To avoid bonding short‑lived items, he recommended saving in the county’s capital fund now so those large purchases can be paid in cash when due.

Commissioners asked about program timing and grant decisions; Meyer said state program awards should be known in October and that many project awards are managed by the state. He also described the county’s process for submitting applications to off‑system (OSS) and other bridge programs.

Meyer said labor and material cost increases — for example, higher engineering rates for the required biennial bridge inspections — are increasing operating costs for the department. He also noted work‑shop discussions about a new road and bridge facilities project and asked the commission to consider the long‑term plan to avoid having too many projects fall due at once.

The department’s near‑term priorities are: completing awarded bridge projects, pursuing funding for high‑priority structures, continuing pavement preservation at targeted miles per year and holding down operating expenses where practical. Meyer also flagged the difficulty of replacing some shop equipment (a vehicle lift in an older shop) where repair or replacement may not be cost‑effective relative to building a new facility.

Looking forward, Meyer urged the commission to weigh bonding only for long‑lived assets and to keep a steady multi‑year CIP so the county does not face a concentrated spike of unfunded needs in the coming decade.