Funding source and level changes have been made to planned road and bridge work designed to improve access to the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge southwest of Prairie City. The Jasper County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the changes during their regular meeting Tuesday, as $250,000 of federal money has been removed from the $3,837,000 project. Jasper County Engineer Mike Frietsch says phase one of three is to go out for bid this spring.

“We should be getting the first phase let in April or May of this year.” 

Phase one involves road stabilization and adding new hot mix asphalt pavement on West 129th Street South from Highway 163 down to South 96th Avenue West, and then to Pacific Street. Phase two includes the same work from South 102nd Avenue West to the refuge’s maintenance road, and from West 129th Street South to South 102nd Avenue West. Phase three is the replacement of the bridge over Walnut Creek at the north end of the refuge. The County Engineer says several safety issues along the phase one route will be addressed as well, including broken box culverts and soil erosion. 

The updated funding for the improvements consists of $1,875,000 in Federal Lands Access and Transportation Program money, and $1,962,000 in Farm to Market and county funds.