County engineer details Pleasant Grove Road phase, Flint River Trail progress and work delays from wet weather

Brian Carter, Des Moines County Engineer, said grading on the Flint River Trail is about 90% complete but crews still need a dry stretch to bring in rock and finish shoulders. "It sure be nice if we got a full week without rain," he said, explaining that drainage shaping and shouldering cannot proceed when the site is muddy.

Carter also described the next phase of Pleasant Grove Road — roughly 1.5 to 1.6 miles from the Iowa City intersection to Big Hollow Road — and said the county expects to advertise for bids with a planned late-October letting (Oct. 29) to schedule construction next year. He noted contract terms will restrict full intersection closures during key summer holiday windows to reduce community impacts.