Around the courthouse: Road, bridge department making progress on repairs

Generally speaking, we have experienced some pretty nice weather this past week compared to areas just to our south like Kansas City. Although we had several days of periodic showers, we did not receive the amount that they have. The temperatures have been just right for the first part of July without any hot winds and the humidity has been tolerable. Actually the weather has been just about perfect for making the corn grow. I believe a lot of the later planting doubled in height in just one week and the late soybeans are up and looking pretty good. The farmers are also taking advantage of the drier weather and getting their hay mowed and up, and in many cases, without it getting wet. The annual county fair season is upon us and the weather was perfect for the Hopkins Picnic. I hope it holds the same for this week's Nodaway County Fair.

These annual events are not only a chance to meet old friends but give us all a chance to get together as a community, interact, and bond. We have a lot to be thankful for here in the Midwest and Nodaway County.

The road and bridge department is making progress due to the nice weather on several projects all around the county and many of the townships are out after the torrential downpours of a few weeks past and are making efforts at getting the roads back in shape. The bridge crew moved to its latest replacement project up in the northwest part of the county on Road #13 in Lincoln Township on Danube Road north of 120th Street and south of Missouri Route KK. The bridge has been "laid" out and the H-piling, the structural vertical supports, are starting to be placed with the county's large crane. It will take approximately four to six weeks to get this bridge built and I am certain that it will be welcomed by the local residents who have been very patient in waiting for this replacement.

I have mentioned several times that although Nodaway County is the fifth largest county in square miles in the state, we lead the state in the number of miles of county roads, approximately 1,200, and the number of bridges over 24 feet in length with about 380, although Carroll County is closing in on the lead. This is due to Nodaway County replacing several of our smaller bridges the past few years with large pipe. One of the "pipes of choice" is used propane railroad tank cars. These tanks are from five-eighths to three-quarters of an inch in thickness and we prefer those that are 10 feet in diameter and 60 feet in length, although on occasion we use some smaller diameter pipe and shorter in length in certain locations. The commission has determined that we will use another one of these used pipes on Road #138 in the northeast part of the county near Hopkins on Leopard Road just south of the Iowa border to replace an old bridge. Although these pipes are scarce and expensive, they are cheaper and a quicker replacement for smaller bridges and will last about forever due to their wall thickness.

The commission always has the drainage area of a crossing "sized" before any culvert or bridge is replaced. One of the many problems facing our infrastructure is that many pipes were installed in years past that were too small for the drainage area and allowed water to run over the roads, wash out the pipe, or compromise the road shoulder embankments. This is also a problem with many of our township tubes as well. Many of their culverts are also undersized due to cost saving measures. This is why many of the rural roads have water that go over them during very wet times. These smaller pipe are also more susceptible to plugging up with brush and debris.

The county had a pre-construction conference this past week with BRS Construction and Brookfield Box and Bridge on our Bridge Replacement Off-System (BRO) project for this year. I have explained numerous times the BRO program and its importance to our county's infrastructure. This bridge will replace an old structure on Road #169 south and east of Hopkins on 142nd Street east of Missouri Route AC and west of Liberty Road. The bridge will have a total replacement cost of $278,933 and work is supposed to start on the 26th of July with the company having 90 working days to complete but without major weather delays, it should be finished within a couple of months. This will be the only bridge that will be sublet this year to an "outside" construction company with the county crew expected to build at least six new structures this season.

The scaffolding is in place to repair the courthouse tower and is an engineering feat in and of itself. There are stairs that one can climb to the very top of the scaffold with an electric winch also installed to move equipment and materials to the top. I climbed to the peak this past weekend early one morning and, to say the least, it is a bit "spooky" climbing open stairs and looking down on the businesses around the square. The scenery and landscape of Nodaway County is unbelievable from the top of the tower. The "cone" on the very peak of the tower is much larger than I imagined.

The bell in the tower will soon be removed. The construction company reported that it is 42 inches in diameter and the overall height is 30.5 inches. They do not know the exact thickness of the casting but the estimated weight is between 1,500 and 2,000 pounds.
Before closing I need to report that preliminary plans are being put together for the county to host a Hazardous Household Waste and Electronic Waste collection period this fall. I will also give  more details when they are finalized. Call or come by with problems, concerns, or just need answers. We will help.

–Joe Baumli is the presiding county commissioner of Nodaway County and provides a weekly column for the Maryville Daily Forum