County roads staff provided a multi-topic operations update for Iowa County on Aug. 29, reporting work on bridges, purchases of heavy equipment and ongoing challenges hiring engineering staff.

Staff said the bridge on D Avenue has been removed and work on the box culvert on A 108th will allow the roadway to reopen in the afternoon; grading and finishing work will continue next week. Crews have been patching B Avenue and performing other routine maintenance.

On equipment, staff reported purchasing a used 2016 Freightliner Cascadia for $42,000 and adding a wet kit for about $8,000. The county also sought a new lowboy trailer and received a trade-in allowance of $18,000 for an older unit; another old truck was sold for scrap for approximately $7,000.

Staff described a microseal/micro slurry product demo done on a city block in Middle Amana, explaining the product is similar to a seal coat and can seal micro-cracks while providing a black finish. Staff estimated the product cost at roughly $3.50–$4.00 per square yard, plus mobilization and traffic control, and said it can require closing a road for about four hours for application.

On staffing, the roads presenter said the county is advertising for an engineer-level position but that experienced applicants are scarce; the department may instead hire a less-experienced engineer to handle in-house projects while outsourcing larger jobs. Staff asked the board to consider whether some supervisory or administrative duties could be redistributed to free technical staff for engineering tasks.

Staff also previewed upcoming items: a public hearing on Y Avenue and a district engineers meeting on Sept. 12. The presenter said three bridge projects are projected for next year but noted schedule and budget pressures could require delaying some projects if an assistant engineer is not hired.

Ending: Staff will proceed with equipment acquisition paperwork, continue bridge and patching work, and return with hiring updates and scheduling adjustments for next year’s projected bridge program.