Council reauthorizes bridge fund reappropriations, advances Smith Valley Road work
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Summary
Highway supervisor Luke Masten told the council the Smith Valley Road project is moving into right‑of‑way acquisition; council agreed to reappropriate three years of cash savings, use bond funds first as advised, and approved several bridge appropriations including federal awards toward Bridge 36 and Bridge 63.
The Johnson County Council approved reappropriations and multiple bridge fund items on March 9 as highway staff outlined next steps for Smith Valley Road and several bridge projects.
Luke Masten, highway supervisor, said the county has been saving cash for Smith Valley Road over a three‑year period. He recommended reappropriating those savings and noted bond counsel advised the county use bond proceeds before spending the cash savings; the council approved reappropriation and related line items for the Smith Valley Road program.
Masten reported there is no state funding for Smith Valley Road and that the project is currently in the right‑of‑way acquisition phase with appraisals in progress. He said the county expects some elements to carry into 2027 as bond proceeds are spent first and the saved cash covers later phases.
On bridge work, Masten said the county was awarded federal funding for Bridge 36 and Bridge 63 and proposed a plan to start consulting contracts using round estimates to keep projects moving. The council discussed cashflow and a previously adopted $3,000,000 budget for the bridge fund; Masten said additional appropriations reflected work identified after the budget cycle and that some bridge line items are intended as savings for future construction phases.
Council approved a new reimbursement fund in the 9000 series to receive 80% MPO federal exchange dollars for a Bridge 85 contract and approved creating a part‑time bridge‑fund engineer line item reduced to a $40,000 budget for the remainder of 2026 instead of the originally discussed $65,000 estimate.
Next steps: staff will continue right‑of‑way acquisition for Smith Valley Road, monitor bridge consulting hours and bids, and coordinate federal projects with NDOT.