Buena Vista County is moving one step closer to two long-awaited highway reconstruction projects.
The board of supervisors on Wednesday approved plans and title sheets for the reconstruction of County Road N‑14 from Highway 3 to Albert City, and for Business Highway 71 on the north side of Storm Lake.
County Engineer Bret Wilkinson told supervisors the documents represent the final step before the Iowa Department of Transportation moves the projects forward to a bid letting on June 16. He said both sets of plans are ready to be submitted.
Wilkinson said that once the DOT receives the bids, it typically takes about a month to review submissions and finalize contracts.
The county has been working through the DOT’s longer timeline to ensure both projects qualify for state letting. Wilkinson noted that while local lettings move faster, the DOT process attracts more bidders and can lead to better pricing.
The N‑14 project includes full pavement replacement and a major drainage fix at the C‑29 intersection. A small, aging culvert under the road has been a bottleneck for water coming out of Albert City. Wilkinson said the county will replace it.
Supervisors unanimously approved the N‑14 plans.
Business 71, meanwhile, will require a full reconstruction from the Walmart culvert north and east to the concrete section near Highway 71. Wilkinson said the road’s entire 16‑inch pavement structure—eight inches of asphalt over eight inches of concrete—has failed.
Cores taken from the roadway show deep structural problems and poor soils underneath. Wilkinson told the board that a simple overlay would not last.
Both stretches carry heavy traffic—N‑14 with significant truck loads, and Business 71 with the highest vehicle count in the county, said Wilkinson. Supervisors also unanimously approved the Business 71 plans.
Although the two projects are separate, they will be tied together for the June letting. Wilkinson said combining them should draw more competitive bids.
If bids come in as expected and contracts are signed in July, Wilkinson said the county could then begin meeting with the contractor, hold a pre‑construction meeting, and determine a timeline for how the work will move forward.
