Henry County Commission votes to seek engineering study for Bogard Township bridges

The Henry County Commission voted Tuesday to seek an engineering study for Northwest 1101 Road in Bogard Township after residents and township board members described recurring washouts, a roughly 2.5-mile log jam blocking water flow and safety risks that can prevent emergency crews from reaching some homes.

Kent Leonard, a Bogard Township board member, told commissioners, "What matters now is how we are going to address the issue moving forward." Residents and board members said previous promises to install bridges were not fulfilled and that existing 5-foot culverts are not large enough to handle current water flows.

Dennis Bower, identified in the record as road and bridge supervisor (the transcript also spells his name variably as “Bowers”), told the commission the project would likely require two bridges and would take about two to three months to construct once work can begin in dry weather; he said crews could not start until late June or July. Bower said he has an employee who could be trained to run the motor grader but that doing so would require hiring an additional person; he said he would like to hire two positions to support the work. Bower said he would contact Great River Engineering to begin the engineering process.

Commissioner Mark Larson moved to seek an engineer for Northwest 1101 Road in Bogard Township; Commissioner Jake Bradley seconded. The motion carried on a roll-call vote with Larson voting yes, Bradley voting yes and Commissioner Stone voting yes. The commission did not set a construction start date; Bower’s estimate depends on weather and final engineering plans.

Residents emphasized safety concerns. Tom Robush, who said his daughter wrecked a UTV because of the road conditions, urged action to prevent injuries. Gary Sloan and other township board members said the log jam and low roadway must be addressed to restore reliable access.

Next steps: county staff will solicit engineering proposals as authorized by the motion, and road-and-bridge staff will report back with proposals and estimated costs. The commission did not adopt a funding commitment during the meeting.