Neighbors go off the rails over proposed bridge removal on Iowa Street

This wasn’t the first time the Jasper County Board of Supervisors listened to the complaints of residents who live near a closed bridge on Iowa Street.

Two months ago, neighbors voiced their concerns about the industrial rail park increasing both train traffic near their homes and the likelihood of stalled railcars on the tracks for long periods of time, preventing them from leaving or entering their homes, and possibly even prohibiting timely responses during emergencies.

Supervisors heard these same arguments during the first of three public hearings last week to remove the closed bridge. Residents worried removing the bridge would also remove all hope of it ever being replaced; the only other way out is past the railroad tracks. They also argued the removal poses a safety hazard.

Without any through traffic on the bridge — which is almost 100 years old and is currently impassable — neighbors said emergency vehicles will have no choice but to enter their neighborhood through the railroad crossing on Iowa Street. But many neighbors said the trains take a long time to pass or stop altogether.

Mindy Adkison, a rural Newton resident who lives along Iowa Street, said she had contacted a rail dispatcher back in May to find out why the trains would have to stop. The dispatcher told her damages to the train or an overheated bearing might require a technician to inspect the train before it could be moved.

If a train did have a hot bearing that needed tended to, it could take considerable time to remedy. Residents worried then it might be too late to help a person in crisis or in need of medical attention. Adkison said the bridge offered a better alternative when a train was stopped, only adding a few minutes to get around.

“I realize even if the train might not be sitting on the track every day, but in the small chance that it is sitting there when we have a life-threatening emergency, that’s just bad news,” Adkison said. “That’s too much for me. I realize it’s not a daily, a two-times-a-day or three-times-a-day thing. But it does happen.”

Jean Ferguson, another resident living along Iowa Street, said right now nobody is crossing the bridge except people who walk and ride their bicycles. To her, the bridge on Iowa Street is a source for emergency care to the residents living along that road. Getting rid of it completely seemed like a step too far.

She jested that if something did happen, her husband could “roll” her across the bridge to the awaiting ambulance if need be.

“Do we have to take it down?” Ferguson asked.

Supervisor Brandon Talsma said the bridge would have to be torn down because it would otherwise be a liability to the county.

“It could eventually fall down in the river and then we’re going to have an issue with the Army Corps of Engineers and everything else with that structure collapsing in the river,” Talsma said.

EMA DIRECTOR OFFERS INSIGHT ON EMERGENCY CONCERNS

Jamey Robinson, director of Jasper County Emergency Management Agency, was present during the public hearing in order to speak on the safety measures in place in case a train is stopped on the tracks during an emergency. He said every call has the potential to cause detours or slow down responders.

When it comes to trains, Robinson said first responders do not typically turn around and look for other ways to reach their destination. They will wait for the train to go by in most cases. If the train is stopped on the tracks, Robinson said public safety personnel will immediately make some calls.

“I have worked in a community where the train split the town right down the middle and we’ve had to make the phone call to make the train move,” he said. “But I’ve also known ambulances going to scenes and they ran into cows on the way, which is (another type of) delayed response.”

Trains are also required by law to not block crossings for prolonged periods of time. According to Iowa Code 327G.32, trains are prohibited from blocking a crossing for more than 10 minutes. But there are exceptions, like if the train is disabled or attempting to avoid striking an object or person on the track.

The crossing on Iowa Street includes a blue sign that instructs people to call a number when reporting a stalled vehicle blocking the crossing or other emergencies. It even has a code number so that the railroad company knows exactly which crossing is effected when callers phone in.

He also noted that complaints of blocked crossings can be forwarded to the Federal Railroad Administration on its website www.fra.dot.gov/blockedcrossings.

Robinson said four trains — two from the east and two from the west — regularly use the crossing each day. Times vary, but trains do switch cars in Newton. The operations manager he spoke with said that on average the train should not exceed a quarter mile from Highway T-12.

From what Robinson found out talking to the railroad company, there is hardly ever a stalled train on Iowa Street or backed that far. Neighbors very much disputed this, with one saying she waited upwards of 40 minutes for a stalled train to move out of the way. But she also admitted that she did not report it.

Residents he spoke with said they are not held up too long by the trains. But Robinson told neighbors he could set up cameras to monitor the area and know exactly how often a train stops at the Iowa Street crossing; he could then take that information to the railroad to better prepare for future issues.

“When I talk with Sheriff Shutts, he’s like, ‘l’ll just drive through the field.’ He’ll do what he has to do,” Robinson said. “We’ll get there.”

BRIDGE HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A NEED FOR DECADES

County Engineer Michael Frietsch said the bridge crosses the North Skunk River and was originally constructed in 1936. It was a three-span, steel I-beam bridge over wood pile piers and wood pile abutments with wood backwalls. The deck was also made of wood plank. The bridge spans about 109 feet.

In the 1970s, the south abutment was replaced after a flood, and in that same year inspectors noted the bridge was constructed to 1928 specifications. The bridge was then given weigh restrictions and given another 25 years of remaining life. Over time its load postings fluctuated and was recommended it be replaced.

“This bridge was recommended for replacement back in 1982 initially,” Frietsch said to the board of supervisors. “So it’s been a topic, an ongoing known need for a long time now … This is not something that’s happened overnight. It’s been a known need for decades now out there.”

Eventually, it was posted as a one-lane bridge. One of the piers was replaced with steel in the 1980s by county crews. In the 1990s, another tier was replaced. However, nothing has been done with the abutments apart from the one affected by the high-water event. Regardless, the deterioration was never fully addressed.

By 2020, the bridge had a six-ton weight restriction. It dropped to three tons the next year and has since been recommended for closure. Concrete barriers were positioned in front of both ends of the bridge since this year, only really allowing for walkers or cyclists to pass through. Cars have no way of crossing.

“It definitely will not meet current standards,’ Frietsch said. “…Our next steps now we’re looking at removing the bridge and continue to identify funding sources for replacement or continue looking at alternative routes to Iowa Street. The replacement structure we believe would need to be a concrete beam bridge.”

It would need to span 130-150 feet and it would require additional right-of-way to align the bridge properly with the existing roads.

Frietsch anticipates a new bridge would cost $2.5 million.

OTHER SOLUTIONS PROPOSED BUT NOT TRULY FEASIBLE

Jasper County attempted to acquire grants to pay for a new bridge along Iowa Street, but Frietsch said the department’s bids were ultimately unsuccessful. One of the state grant programs deemed the project too costly, and said it would require too much additional right-of-way.

Projects are rated on a number of different factors, including traffic count, detour lengths, current bridge postings and specifications and the cost per vehicle.

“This bridge came in mid-pack amongst the other bridges that were submitted and was not successful on the award,” Frietsch said. “We basically tried for two and were not successful. I was just made aware of another source of available funding. It was the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act.”

However, the funding associated with this federal program is not grant-based funding but rather loan-based funding. Frietsch was not confident the county would have a significant enough project to make it qualify. To him, it looks like the project needs to be within a $10 million range to qualify for a loan program.

Frietsch came up with alternative ideas to address the issues neighbors were concerned with, which mainly included constructing new roads. However, the costs of constructing any kind of short road connecting neighbors to nearby streets like Iris Avenue would cost about $500,000 for a quarter-mile of roadway.

Other options included a bond issue and putting the matter to a public vote, but Frietsch warned it would likely be at the expense of future projects for at least a year. Supervisors showed no sign of wanting to build and maintain a new road or using a bond referendum to potentially finance the project.

Supervisors will hear comments from neighbors during the next two public hearings before finally putting the matter to a vote.