County engineer reports on secondary roads projects; Middle Fork 10 to be built with day labor after no bids

County Engineer Jared Johnson told the Ringgold County Board of Supervisors on April 13 that crews have hauled spot rock to multiple maintainer districts, sent scrap metal to Leon Recycling, prepared piling and falsework beams for the Middle Fork 10 project, and updated bridge postings after receiving the Calhoun‑Burns 'cat list.'

Johnson reported crews repaired a large pothole on the west approach near Ringgold County Bridge Clinton 6 and described winter readiness — plow trucks were readied and dispatched in response to overnight snow. He said preliminary design and plans for the Union 13 bridge replacement are complete and have been submitted to the Iowa DOT and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for required reviews and a 404 permit; based on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wetland mapping, a wetland delineation is likely and consultant proposals have been solicited. Washington24 is identified as a Highway Bridge Program (HBP)‑funded replacement anticipated to be let in FY28, with NEPA and SHPO reviews to follow.

Johnson said the local letting for Middle Fork 10 on April 6 produced no responsive bids; the board approved moving forward with construction using county day labor forces, with work planned to start toward the end of April. He also reported the department completed final plans for the Poe 17 project and will present them for board review and a local letting date.

Johnson reviewed the county Five‑Year Program and said he will present it for board approval at a later date. The update provided project‑level timelines and permitting steps the county must complete before certain bridge replacements can proceed.