The Washington County Board of Supervisors approved a new 28E agreement for a federal Department of Transportation grant application.

County Engineer Jacob Thorius presented the agreement with the Iowa County Engineers Association Service Bureau and HDR Engineering, Inc. for a Bridge Investment Program grant application. Thorius explained that this is nearly identical to a previous 28E agreement the supervisors approved last year for the RAISE grant that they failed to receive. HDR will provide technical support to the ICEA to develop a single BIP application for eight county bridges that were proposed in the RAISE application. The ICEA has identified Washington County as the BIP grant sponsor and lead applicant. Thorius is seeking to reconstruct the McKains Bridge over the Skunk River crossing on County Road W21, increasing the width from 21.9 feet to 30 feet. Washington shall be responsible for one-eighth of the cost of HDR’s services amounting $62,315.