County engineer outlines two bridge replacements funded by federal and congressional grants

Madison County’s road engineer told the Board of Supervisors that two aging bridges on Bevington Park Road—both originally constructed in 1932—require replacement and are advancing to final design.

County engineer Mike Packet said the Middle/Overflow Bridge replacement is estimated at about $1,500,000 and another adjacent bridge at about $2,200,000. Packet said the county secured state and congressional funding and expects the remainder to be covered by federal-aid bridge funds. "So no local money for these for this project," Packet said when describing funding sources.

Packet described the projects as part of the county's five-year construction program; right-of-way purchase and final plan completion remain. He said the county is targeting an Iowa DOT letting in December or January and recommended bundling the two bridge projects to coordinate detours and construction timing.

Supervisors asked procedural questions about the five-year plan and noted fracture-critical truss elements make replacement pressing. Packet said environmental studies, permitting, and design work have taken years and that moving projects into letting is the next step.

Next steps: finalize plans, complete right-of-way acquisition, place projects in the DOT letting schedule and coordinate detours. No local funding appropriation was reported at the meeting.