Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure Transportation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County engineer: Illinois building remediation complete; demolition bidding to start; bridge replacement costs likely exceed benefit
Summary
Cerro Gordo County engineer reported remediation of the Illinois building is finished and demolition bidding will begin; culvert and bridge projects face manufacturing lead times and high replacement costs, prompting a recommendation to redirect funds to higher-priority work.
Cerro Gordo County’s engineer reported Sept. 8 that remediation work on the Illinois building is complete and demolition planning is moving forward. The county will solicit bids from Mason City–qualified contractors and give contractors two weeks to review the site and submit questions before returning firm demolition costs to the board.
The engineer said demolition cannot begin until a demolition permit is obtained from the City of Mason City: “As soon as I hire a contractor for demolition is when I can apply to the city for a demolition permit. And once that permit is had from them, at that point, we’ll be able to proceed with the demolition,” he said.
On road infrastructure, the engineer reported that a culvert project on Hickory north of B-15 is ready but waiting on boxed culvert sections from the manufacturer; the lead time for delivery is about two weeks, and actual installation would take roughly two weeks once the boxes arrive.
The engineer also recommended against an expensive bridge replacement on 4th Avenue at a deep valley near B-20. He described a failing bridge roughly 30 feet down in a valley with a 100-foot-long span that the county closed for safety. Replacing the structure with a new bridge and requisite retaining walls would likely cost an estimated $750,000 to $1,000,000. The engineer said the location offers a detour of less than a mile and that the county’s limited funds might be better used elsewhere.
Other updates: county crews are completing mowing and gravel work orders and conducting additional equipment training so more staff can operate necessary machinery. The engineer said work orders for drainage remain in the queue while crews focus on seasonal priorities.
Next steps: the engineer will return to the board with demolition bid results after the two-week question period, apply for a Mason City demolition permit once a contractor is selected, track delivery of culvert boxes for the Hickory project, and develop design alternatives and cost estimates for the closed bridge area if the board directs further work.
