Ask Mr. Answer Person. A Bluffton resident e-mails:"Is the closed bridge at Bluffton scheduled to be reopened soon? The detour is inconvenient for many."

Mr. Answer Person says: I'll let Winneshiek County Engineer Lee Bjerke answer your question: "The project is moving forward. We have sent the Right-of-Way notices to all the landowners (there are two private landowners and the DNR). The negotiations are starting. The DOT is completing a structural review as we had to change the foundation that the east abutment sits on, due to some less-than-desirable materials along the river bank. The review is more of a formality than anything but still needs to be done. Once we have all the right-of-way secured we will turn in final plans to DOT and the plans will be placed on the next scheduled letting where the contractors can bid the project. Work will be expected to start 30 days after letting. If we turned the plans in today it would be an April letting, but we won't be turning them in today, we just have to let the right-of-way negotiations run their course and see where we end up."
Photo courtesy of historicbridges.org