decorahnews.com special report: "Sagging bridges, bumpy roads"

Winneshiek County Supervisors inspect Bridge #356 on a recent road trip

If there's a road that needs to be repaved or a bridge that needs to be replaced in Winneshiek County, the first question county officials ask isn't "When can we get bids?" but "Where are we going to get the money to pay for that?"

That's because Winneshiek County has many needs for new roads and bridges, but fewer sources for funding.

Take, for instance, Bridge #356, located on Scenic River Drive west of Bluffton Road.  The 44-foot long bridge has serious structural issues, including some girders that have twisted.  A replacement for the bridge has been designed and is ready for bids--but there's the question of how to pay for the new bridge.

Because traffic is light on that section of Scenic River Drive, the replacement project is not eligible for federal bridge funds--the major source of funding for most bridge projects in Winneshiek County.

That's a challenge because Bridge #356 is still open to traffic--and Winneshiek County has seven other bridges that are totally closed to traffic because of even more serious structural issues.

County Engineer Lee Bjerke says when funding is determined for the project, county crews will save the beams on the existing bridge because they can be resued in a different location--just one more way county crews try to make the county's road and bridge budget stretch to cover as many projects as possible.

A twisted girder