‘We need a second access’: Neighbors offer alternatives to removing Iowa Street bridge

Neighbors living on Iowa Street showed up to another public hearing this week to argue against the removal of a closed bridge, but this time they offered solutions.

Even so, their efforts were met with scrutiny and skepticism from Jasper County leaders. Mindy Adkison, who lives along Iowa Street, provided supervisors and the county engineer with studies and information regarding railcar bridges, which uses decommissioned flatcars as a cost-effective solution for bridge replacement.

County Engineer Michael Frietsch acknowledged that he was familiar with railcar bridges being used by other counties, but he questioned their lifespan. He flat-out refused to consider using a railcar bridge for Iowa Street, in large part because of the North Skunk River and its history of floods and high-water events.

“If it wasn’t the North Skunk River, we would consider it,” Frietsch said. “…I did go look at one of those bridges. This past summer I did go out to Buchanan County … We looked at what they were doing. It would not be an applicable solution for the North Skunk River based on what we saw.”

Frietsch said a tier for those types of bridges is placed in the center of the channel. The bridge on Iowa Street has been damaged a number of times over the years, and the spans had been replaced at least two different times. One time it was because of floods. Frietsch also noted the bridge suffers from debris issues.

“Putting anything with a center span with less than about 100 feet out there would be a very risky proposition for the county,” Frietsch said. “The most you can get on a railcar span is about 89 feet at best … You’re not going to get a long enough center span with a railcar.”

Despite resistance from Frietsch, Adkison encouraged supervisors to speak with the county engineer from Buchanan County. She suggested his more than 30 years experience might be invaluable in a case like this. Other neighbors went so far as to ask the supervisors to commit to meeting with him.

The board made it clear they could not make any promises. At the first public hearing, county officials said the bridge has needed to be replaced for some time. However, inaction from past boards led to the bridge deteriorating past the point of maintenance or safe use. It is currently closed off to traffic.

Jasper County is obligated to remove the bridge for liability purposes.

ARE CREATIVE SOLUTIONS FEASIBLE?

Frietsch offered other solutions, such as acquiring grants to pay for a new bridge. Two grants were pursued, but the county was unsuccessful in receiving funds. The county engineer also said supervisors could authorize the construction of new roads, but the idea was not popular due to the potentially high price tag.

Supervisor Brandon Talsma said the county reached out to other landowners about selling property and creating a new easement. The landowners said no.

Other ideas like a bond issue were suggested, but Frietsch noted it would be at the expense of future projects for at least a year.

Still, Adkison said Buchanan County Engineer Brian Keierleber believed other options could be pursued for the bridge on Iowa Street, based on the information he was given. Jasper County leaders said it would cost around $2.5 million to replace the bridge, but she said Keierleber found cheaper solutions.

“Talking to the county engineer of Buchanan County, he has looked at our bridge and he believes we can do it for $500,000,” Adkison said. “He said we could apply for a bridge water easement … That could possibly get the span down where we wouldn’t be required to have 250 feet and even reduce the cost.”

Neighbors ultimately fear removing the bridge will cause Jasper County to ignore the residents and the issues they are facing.

“It feels like once it’s removed it’s out of sight, out of mind,” Adkison said to the board of supervisors. “It’s not going to be addressed. We feel like we are in — you have put us — in a precarious situation. We are in a situation where we don’t like having one access and it being across railroad tracks.”

Supervisors noted this issue is not an easy decision and they are trying to consider all options and find solutions, even after the public hearings are over. Talsma also noted the county is not legally required to hold these public hearings to remove the bridge, or even close the bridge. If it fails an inspection, it closes.

“This is a process that we are creating because we know the severity of the situation and your guys’ concerns,” Talsma said.

FIRST RESPONDERS GIVEN ALERTS TO POSSIBLE TRAIN

Jasper County leaders also offered a solution to the concerns residents had with trains blocking ambulances or firetrucks from entering the neighborhood during an emergency. Jamey Robinson, director of Jasper County Emergency Management Agency, said adjustments were made to the dispatch system.

Specifically, he said Sheriff Brad Shutts had identified all of the properties north of the railroad crossing so that when a 911 call is made in the neighborhood, an alert will be issued to first responders of the exact railroad crossing ahead so that they can call Iowa Interstate Railroad to get any trains moved ahead of time.

“They’ll have the crossing number and the (phone) number,” Robinson said. “Dispatch is going to call the rail proactively and check to see while responders are responding if there is a train there and to start getting it moved … If there is something there, it should be moved.”

Typically, if first responders find they are blocked by a train, they are taught to call the railroad and get it moved immediately so they can cross.

Jasper County EMA and the sheriff’s office will also be monitoring the railroad crossing at the intersection. Cameras will be installed in the area to determine just how often — and how long — trains are stopped at the crossing. Robinson noted the narratives from the railroad and from neighbors are conflicting.

Robinson also said a representative from Iowa Interstate Railroad will be present at the next public hearing to answer questions and address other concerns.

Adkison appreciated the efforts from EMA and the sheriff’s office, but to her and her neighbors the real solution is replacing the bridge.

“I’m glad to have the camera out there, but if it stops one time and it’s the wrong time, it really doesn’t matter to me how many times the train stops, it’s the fact that it has and it does stop,” she said. “…I appreciate all the work that goes into it, but we need a second access. That’s the bottom line.”