County will do some switching of road projects because of FEMA decision

Photo of Chimney Rock Road Bridge is courtesy of www.historicbridges.org and Nathan Holth and Rick McOmber

Winneshiek County had planned on using FEMA flood relief funds to replace Bridge #347 ("Snell Bridge") on Chimney Rock Road.

But County Engineer Lee Bjerke says FEMA has told the county it will allow only $380,000 to be spent on a replacement bridge--and the county's estimate is that it would cost $750,000.

Bjerke says the county could always spend its own money above and beyond the $380,000 in FEMA funds, but he's not excited by that option--obviously.

So instead Winneshiek County will take the $380,000 in federal funds and apply them to other flood-related repairs and replacements.  It would then submit an application for federal bridge funds for the Chimney Road Road bridge.  That money would cover 80 percent of the bridge replacement cost, which would be better than having the county pick up almost half of the cost.

Supervisors approved the proposal on Monday.  Bjerke says the only drawback with the plan is that there probably will be another project or two that gets bumped back a year in the schedule because of the switching.