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County outlines five-year roads and bridges program, weighs white-topping and federal-funded Leland bridge work
Summary
Winnebago County staff presented a draft five-year roads and bridges program, including candidate bridge replacements for 2026–2030, options for ‘white topping’ concrete overlays on a heavy-traffic route, and a federally funded Leland bridge project that will require environmental clearances and additional design costs.
Winnebago County staff reviewed a draft five-year roads and bridges program and described options for resurfacing, bridge replacements and a federally funded bridge project in Leland that will require environmental clearances.
The five-year program identifies multiple bridge replacements and paving projects for 2026–2030. Staff said several bridges near South of Buffalo and a posting-restricted bridge (E 34 posted at 25 mph in the transcript) are priorities for replacement. For efficiency, the county proposed replacing multiple nearby bridges in a single year and completing several smaller projects with in-house crews.
Staff also described white topping — placing a 4–6 inch concrete overlay on existing asphalt — as one resurfacing option for a road carrying heavy landfill and manure-haul traffic. Presenters said white topping can cost more upfront (county estimates, referencing other counties’ figures, put a rough figure near $500,000 per mile in some comparisons) but can last 35–40 years versus 20–22 years for conventional asphalt, which can change the long-term economics. The county will run lifecycle cost comparisons and consider cold in-place recycling and traditional asphalt overlays where appropriate.
Separately, staff outlined a Calhoun Burns engineering contract for a Leland bridge replacement that will use federal funding and therefore requires a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) clearance and related federal environmental and right-of-way reviews. The contract presented covers preliminary engineering work, surveying and environmental subcontractors for about $61,350 in initial fees; staff noted an earlier estimate that would bring the full design and clearance work to roughly $175,000. The city of Leland is expected to cover the engineering fees for that project; staff said the city may borrow or use TIF funds. The county will bring a formal contract for board approval after discussing details with Leland.
No formal board action was taken on the five-year program at the meeting. Staff said they will continue to refine project scopes, run cost comparisons (including white topping versus asphalt), and return with more detailed cost estimates and proposed schedules.
The board also discussed pavement patching and the limits of temporary repairs, noting that patches made after utility work can be cosmetically imperfect and that micro-surfacing or more extensive resurfacing may be needed to hide or remedy the defects.
Staff asked the board for guidance on the draft program and said they would proceed with preliminary engineering and environmental clearances for federally funded projects once authorized.
