Roads staff reports $1 million state grant for Clear Lake-area bridge, flags equipment outages

Brandon, the county———roads staff member addressed the board with a multi-part report that included pavement and bridge projects, equipment status and short-term operational plans.

On the bridge funding, Brandon said officials secured about $1 million in state funds to repair the shared bridge at 276th/275th on the north side of Clear Lake and that the county would provide a temporary road so residents at the dead end can access properties during construction. "It's a million dollars of state funds for that bridge," he said.

Brandon also reported a number of vehicle problems: three pickups with diesel exhaust issues, one grader with a harness problem and one dump truck with a vehicle control module fault. He described preparations to address potholes, remove unneeded snow equipment for storage and paint units for next season, while keeping a minimal fleet ready for short-term responses.

He previewed upcoming federal aid lettings for a bridge on B60 and for pavement projects on Thrush and Larkin and said the DOT updated the county bridge list to include several additional federally funded projects that will be added to the five-year plan and DOT budget presentation.

Other operational notes: the county plans to demolish an old storage building in Rockwell and coordinated with the sheriff's office to use it for explosive-entry training prior to demolition; work at an "Illinois site" will remove part of a berm and trees so a fence can be installed and drainage addressed.

The board did not take a formal vote on these reports; staff will return with project agreements and bidding timelines as projects move to letting.