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Winnebago County approves federal‑aid agreement to pursue replacement of Leland bridge over Winnebago River
Summary
Supervisors approved a federal aid agreement with the Iowa DOT and the City of Leland for a bridge replacement project (BROS‑4297601‑8J‑95) with an estimated construction cost of $1,350,000; county staff outlined timeline and roles.
Winnebago County supervisors voted to approve a federal‑aid agreement with the Iowa Department of Transportation and the City of Leland to pursue replacement of the Broadway Avenue bridge over the Winnebago River.
County staff described the project as eligible for the city bridge program and provided an early estimate of $1,350,000 for construction costs. The county will act as a co‑recipient and project manager for federal‑aid procedures; the City of Leland would be responsible for project development and engineering costs.
Scott Snyder, the county engineer, advised the board that engineering and design, permitting (including Army Corps and Iowa DNR reviews) and cultural‑resource compliance are required steps before construction. He said preliminary schedules make a one‑to‑two‑year design window possible in the best case, and three years is a more conservative expectation from concept to completion.
Snyder said the county traditionally administers federal‑aid projects because counties typically have more experience with the reimbursement and contracting processes than smaller cities do; under the federal bridge (BROS) arrangement, the county pays project invoices and receives reimbursement from the state/federal program. Staff said the city had identified approximately $175,000 as an available amount for initial engineering, but that final engineering costs would be set once a consultant and scope are selected.
Supervisors discussed whether the county should recoup staff time devoted to project management and inspection. Several supervisors said they were willing to have the county carry the administrative burden for a small city with limited staff, but they also noted tight municipal budgets.
The board approved the federal‑aid agreement by voice vote (motion by Supervisor Derby; second by Supervisor Smith). The project was identified on the record by DOT project identifier BROS‑4297601‑8J‑95 and will proceed through design, permitting and bidding per federal‑aid requirements.
