County supervisors presented with a petition asking for 185th Avenue to be repaved

185th Avenue (Courtesy of Beacon software)

Ossian area residents Monica Zweibohmer and Bob Reilly have presented a petition with 168 signatures of people asking that 185th Avenue south of Ossian be repaved by October of 2016.

The two took their complaints about the current condition of the road before county supervisors on Monday.  People are avoiding using the road because it has gotten so bad, said Zweibohmer, who added that motorists are choosing to drive on gravel roads instead.  If they do drive on 185th Avenue, said Zweibohmer, they swerve around the potholes, making the likelihood of accidents greater.

Winneshiek County has applied for FEMA funds to help fix some bridges on 185th Avenue that were damaged in flooding earlier this year.  "Now's the time to do this," said Reilly, who noted that seal coating the two miles of road in question should cost around $50,000.

Both Zweibohmer and Reilly said they appreciated the tight financial situation the county is in, but they both agreed that it's time to get the road fixed.