Des Moines County approves 2027 secondary-roads budget and five‑year construction program

The Des Moines County Board of Supervisors voted April 21 to adopt the IDOT 2027 secondary-roads budget and the county’s five‑year construction program following a public hearing and a detailed presentation by county roads staff.

Brian, the county secondary-roads official identified only by first name in the meeting record, told the board the immediate paving project for Pleasant Grove Road originally was estimated between $1.9 million and $2.0 million but bids for the summer work came in at roughly $1.5 million, creating a savings he said could be used to fund the next phase of the job. "The project we're doing this summer was estimated between 1.9 and $2,000,000. It came in at 1.5," Brian said during the presentation.

Brian outlined a multi‑year program that includes: a near‑term 1.2–1.6 mile concrete paving segment on Pleasant Grove Road; a series of bridge replacements that were bundled in a federal grant (the presentation estimated the county would receive about 80% federal funding for some bridge projects, with local matches coming from the farm‑to‑market account); and a countywide intersection‑lighting initiative using solar fixtures, with 12–13 sites planned this summer at roughly $12,000–$15,000 per site.

Why it matters: The program prioritizes large capital work—paving miles of county roads and replacing posted bridges—that the county says it could not afford without bids coming in lower than estimates and without leveraging federal grant dollars. Brian told supervisors that, if competition in the concrete market fades, savings that made the next phase possible could disappear, and he stressed the program’s timing is bid‑price dependent.

Supporters and next steps: After the presentation, a supervisor moved to approve the IDOT budget and five‑year plan; the motion was seconded and the board recorded affirmative votes to adopt the document. Brian and county staff said they will continue design work, right‑of‑way discussions and contractor coordination and will return to the board with required contracts and project approvals as bidding and design progress.

Context and caveats: Brian repeatedly described the figures as estimates and said bids and the DOT’s northward project progress will affect whether certain phases proceed. The presentation referenced a multi‑year total for later years that is substantially larger than the immediate available local funding and included a fifth‑year illustrative total of roughly $25 million, which county staff said is not fully funded and is intended to show needs rather than firm commitments.

The board approved the budget and program at the meeting and directed staff to continue project development and to bring formal contract items, design approvals and right‑of‑way actions back to the board for final authorization.