Federal funding used for road stabilization around Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge

Jasper County applied for a Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP) grant two years ago to stabilize roads next to the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, and this past week the board of supervisors formally approved the funding agreement awarding more than $1.87 million to go towards the project.

The county was also awarded $400,000 in additional funding from the Federal Lands Transportation Program; altogether, more than $2.27 million would be devoted to the first phase of this multi-phase project. Jasper County Engineer Michael Frietsch said the project is to improve accessibility to Neal Smith.

Specifically, the first phase of the project would pave West 129th Street South from Iowa Highway 163 to South 96th Avenue West, and then South 96th Avenue West from West 129th Street South and all the way through. Frietsch said the roads would be stabilized with cement and two layers of otta seal.

“So that’s the first phase is that ‘L’ and making that loop from (Highway) 163 over to Pacific (Street),” Frietsch said of the road that leads directly to the refuge from South 96th Avenue West. “…We’ll also be going in there because we have several box culverts that have end sections that are broken in there, erosion issues.”

Embankment slopes are too steep in some areas as well. The county engineer said crews will flatten those out along that corridor. The second phase of the project — from South 102nd Avenue West to the maintenance road, and West 129th Street South to South 102nd Avenue West — will come later.

“Then we got a bridge over Walnut Creek on South 88th Avenue West that we’re going to replace,” Frietsch said. “At this point right now I think the funding is going to cover phase one. And I’ve already told them once we get done with phase one we’re going to have to have a discussion.”

Subsequent phases are anticipated to be more expensive. Frietsch noted when the county received the grant a few years ago it was before prices skyrocketed.

“What we thought we could do with $2 million to $3 million, now you need almost $6 million,” Frietsch said. “So we’re going to have to have a conversation with them after the first phase. But this funding agreement will at least allow us to go ahead and proceed on that first phase and get that first phase done.”

Frietsch said the first phase is scheduled for letting around November or December. The problem the county is encountering right now is the temporary easements needed to start construction. Supervisors voted on one temporary easement during the Aug. 27 board meeting.

“So that’s probably the biggest holdup I see now is probably our temporary construction easements that we need for the embankment slopes and the repairs to the culvert pipes,” Frietsch said. “And I think there was still some issues with environmental check offs and other things that are holding us up a little bit.”

So far, the plan is to start construction by 2025.

Jasper County Attorney Scott Nicholson reviewed the funding agreement and made some suggestions. Frietsch said some of the language of the agreement was changed. For instance, early plans mentioned “paving,” but that has since been removed to give the county more flexibility.

“Originally, we were looking at doing asphalt paving, but then because of costs we had to switch and go down a step or two on what we’re actually doing there,” Frietsch said. “What we’re technically doing is considered ‘surface improvements’ … It’s better than gravel but not as good as pavement.”