Jaden from Jackson County’s engineer’s office provided multiple infrastructure updates at the Dec. 23 board meeting, including a preconstruction meeting for Channelworth Bridge with Taylor Construction and a planned January 12 construction start, nondestructive testing results for Moorhead that found three additional cracks needing post‑holiday repairs, and grant planning for larger projects such as Ironbridge and a realignment on 395th Avenue.

Why it matters: The engineering updates include near‑term closures and repair work that will affect local travel and outline multi‑year timelines for major replacements that depend on competitive federal grants.

Key project details and timing: Jaden said the preconstruction meeting for Channelworth Bridge occurred last week and Taylor Construction is planning to start on Jan. 12. Nondestructive testing at Moorhead identified three additional cracks; repairs and follow‑up inspections are expected after the new year and will require reinspections before reopening.

Grant strategy and costs: Staff said the county plans to reapply for federal competitive bridge funds (discussed using RAISE/BUILD terminology) for Ironbridge and for a large project on 395th Avenue. A DOT posting showed a recommended TSIP award of roughly $445,000 for the 395th realignment (speaker cautioned, "don't quote me on the exact price"). Jaden gave a rough verbal estimate for Ironbridge replacement that the speaker characterized on the record as uncertain: "I mean, 5.2 or $3,000,000 to replace," and noted that Ironbridge is treated as a Section 4(f) historic resource, which would require additional mitigation and environmental work.

Traffic and construction impacts: Staff warned Channelworth and Moorhead work could overlap and said the county will try to minimize concurrent closures; major replacements will likely be years after an award because of design, permitting and environmental mitigation timelines.

Staffing and operations: The engineer’s office is scheduling interviews to fill a posted position ahead of a busy summer construction season (concrete overlays and multiple bridge replacements) to ensure project delivery.

Who spoke: Jaden (County Engineer office), with board discussion led by Chair Don Swicker and contributions from other supervisors.

Ending: The board gave informal support to pursue grant applications and asked staff to return with any formal requests to authorize application or local matching commitments at upcoming meetings.