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Dallas County approves Raccoon River bridge plans, authorizes June 25 bid letting and 28E with Van Meter
Summary
The Dallas County Board of Supervisors approved final plans and specifications for repairs and overlays on two Raccoon River bridges and authorized the project to be put out to bid June 25, 2026. The board also approved an intergovernmental 28E agreement with the City of Van Meter to coordinate related roadway and utility work.
The Dallas County Board of Supervisors on May 19 approved final plans and specifications for improvements to 360th Street (F90) — including repairs to the Raccoon River bridge and the Raccoon River overflow-channel bridge — and authorized the projects to proceed to a bid letting conducted by the City of Van Meter on June 25, 2026. The board signed Resolution 2026-0067 after county engineering staff presented certified plans prepared by Calhoun-Burns & Associates.
The board’s action moves a multistage project into procurement: plans filed with the county engineer show bridge-deck overlays, deck repairs and abutment work at two separate bridge sites, retrofit barrier rails, and approach pavement work. Evan J. Murphy, P.E., Dallas County Engineer, certified the plans that the board approved for bidding. The contract documents include detailed quantities, staging and traffic-control measures and require certified plant inspection and specialized bridge repair procedures.
Why it matters: the project repairs aging structures on 360th Street and prepares sections of the roadway for resurfacing and safety upgrades. The County and the City of Van Meter also signed an intergovernmental (28E) agreement to divide project responsibilities, financing and right-of-way work for several linked improvements — including the bridge repairs and related widening/resurfacing and utility work on Tabor Road and 365th Street — so that the work can be coordinated across jurisdictions.
The 28E agreement filed with the Iowa Secretary of State outlines five related projects and design responsibilities, and states the City will serve as the contracting authority for the bid letting and construction procurement while Dallas County cooperates on engineering and permits. Joe Herman, mayor of Van Meter, and Jessica Drake, Van Meter city clerk, appear on the signed agreement recorded with the state. The agreement sets the contract letting timeline and says construction documents must be filed before bids are solicited.
The engineering packet on file lists work items including deck overlays (Class HPC-PCC), retrofit concrete barrier rails, concrete repairs (Class A and B), longitudinal grooving, bridge cleaning and painting, and erosion and traffic control plans; the plans identify staged construction, bridge bearing/masonry plate work and galvanic corrosion protection at key joints. Procedures for watertight testing of expansion joints and neoprone gland installation are also specified in the plans.
What happens next: the City of Van Meter will lead the bid letting on June 25, 2026, as authorized. The county resolution directs that bids be returned to the City for opening; construction will proceed after award. The Board’s action also authorizes continued coordination under the 28E agreement so that right-of-way, permitting and funding allocations can be completed before construction begins.
