County engineer: Magnolia Bridge RAISE grant moving to right-of-way phase, McClure stays on contract
Summary
Pottawattamie County staff reported NEPA approval for the Magnolia Bridge RAISE grant and said McClure will remain the engineer of record; next steps include right-of-way acquisition, contract amendment for ROW services, and possible project letting in mid-2026 if acquisitions proceed smoothly.
County engineer Andy Wick updated the Board of Supervisors on the Magnolia Bridge project funded by a RAISE grant, reporting that NEPA approval was received in August and that McClure remains under contract to complete final design. Wick said McClure will prepare an amendment to include right-of-way acquisition fees and to clarify grant-administration scope; he plans to review that amendment when submitted and bring it back to the board.
Wick described the next steps as right-of-way acquisition and noted that the county may need to resurvey some easements because earlier surveys (from 2023) may require updates. If right-of-way acquisition proceeds on a favorable schedule the county could bring the project to letting in July–August 2026 and complete construction before the RAISE grant closeout in mid-2029. Wick also said Clay County is the lead county for the multi-county RAISE application and the counties are coordinating on administrative tasks.
Board discussion focused on scope, whether McClure would handle grant administration, survey expirations and resequencing efforts, and fees to cover easement acquisition. Wick said McClure had agreed to include RAISE grant support in its scope via amendment and that the county would pay easement acquisition costs up front and seek DOT reimbursement when allowed.
Next steps: Wick will bring the proposed McClure amendment and any easement cost requests to the board for approval.
