Committee recommends full board approve $2.75 million Rice Road bridge federal agreement

The Grundy County committee voted to recommend that the full county board approve a joint funding agreement to replace the Rice Road bridge, a project budgeted at $2,750,000 and slated for an Illinois Department of Transportation federal letting in April.

Eric, a Highway Department staff member, told the committee the design is complete and the agreement lays out how IDOT will administer the federal contract and invoice the county for its share through progress payments. "The total amount in this agreement is 2,750,000.00," he said, adding that about $2,200,000 is federal and $550,000 would be the county's local share.

The committee also reviewed two linked county resolutions: one that commits the county to appropriate the local $550,000 share and another that would obligate $550,000 of motor fuel tax funds under the Illinois Highway Code to cover that local portion. Eric said the county included the project in its five-year capital plan and that the supplemental appropriation would be used only if change orders or cost increases required it.

Board members moved and seconded the recommendation to forward the agreement and related resolutions to the full board for final approval next week. The motion carried on a voice vote.

Next steps: the joint agreement and the two appropriation resolutions will appear on the county board agenda for final action. Contract letting and procurement will proceed under IDOT's federal process once the county's local obligation is formalized.