Supervisors report DOT’s bridge and roundabout plan; project estimate $16–18 million
Loading...
Summary
At a public DOT meeting supervisors learned the planned bridge and roundabout work for the county ‘bucket of worms’ intersection is in preliminary design, is sized for semi traffic, and carries a DOT cost estimate of roughly $16–18 million with multi‑year construction anticipated.
Supervisors told the board they attended an Iowa DOT open meeting describing preliminary designs for new bridges and roundabouts on a complex county intersection often called the "bucket of worms." Board members said DOT emphasized customized roundabout geometry for semi traffic and that bridge spans over the railroad will need to be both taller and longer.
At the meeting one county representative said DOT staff estimated construction at "about $16 to $18 million" with an expected construction window of roughly three years. Supervisors said DOT is still working through detailed construction staging, traffic control and coordination with Union Pacific regarding bridge spans over the railroad.
Board members discussed local concerns — truck turning movements, sight lines for stock trailers and farm equipment, and how traffic from industrial and shift workers will use the redesigned intersections. Supervisors said DOT used visuals at the open house and that the design includes wider aprons and special surfacing to accommodate heavy truck traffic.
No formal county action on the project was required at the meeting; supervisors said they will continue coordinating with DOT on impacts to county roads and bridge scheduling and will monitor whether county projects need to be adjusted to avoid construction conflicts.
