A report by American Road and Transportation Builders Association ranks Iowa as number one in poor bridges, but if you were to ask Winnebago County Engineer Scott Meinders about the bridges in Winnebago County, he would tell you that they are safe. He also says that the bridges are regularly checked and maintained.
According to Meinders, the county saves taxpayers significant amounts of money because they use what a called box culverts which are less expensive than ordinary bridge construction and can be installed by the Winnebago County Road Department.
For a county the size of Winnebago, the hope is to have the required tolerances in bridges to handle farm equipment and everyday traffic at costs that are not excessive.
Meinders has a five-year plan has been implemented to address the bridges that will eventually need to be repaired or replaced.
