5500 Westown Parkway, Suite 190
West Des Moines, Iowa 50266
5500 Westown Parkway, Suite 190
West Des Moines, Iowa 50266
Each county has a designated engineer who works closely with the county supervisors to build, maintain and operate a road system suited to rural citizens and traffic.
New openings for engineers, assistants, technicians, administrative staff and maintenance personnel come open every year.
Counties design, let, and inspect many construction and maintenance projects each year. This work renews bridges, restores pavement, and improves safety.
Counties must often restrict or close roads on account of emergency conditions, embargos, maintenance work and projects. The 511 section provides current road usabilty.
Welcome to the Iowa County Engineering and County Roads website. Here you can find information about Iowa's 89,000 miles of secondary roads, the 18,000 bridges they contain, the 99 counties that support them and the 90 engineers that oversee their operation.
Iowa's county engineers and staff come from a variety of backgrounds, but all share one trait: they are dedicated to providing Iowa with the best rural road network possible.
In 2026, the U.S. Department of Transportation will award up to $350 million in Competitive Highway Bridge Program (CHBP) grants to support critical infrastructure projects across the country. CHBP is a nationally competitive grant program that provides funding for transportation bridge infrastructure.
The Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT), along with 20+ other counties and cities, is applying for funding to rebuild 32 bridges in poor condition across the state. These bridge replacement projects would improve safety, increase communities’ connection to nearby areas, such as schools, businesses, hospitals, and parks, provide easier access for freight and agricultural movement, and support economic growth.
We need your help by completing a brief survey! This survey will give us insight into your views on the bridges, how you use the current structures, and your thoughts on potential wider, safer bridges capable of carrying heavier loads. The survey should take no more than 5 minutes to complete. We appreciate your input!
| Snapshot | Road Miles | Bridge Deck (SF) |
|---|---|---|
| Earth | 5,032 | 835,960 |
| Granular | 66,244 | 24,699,650 |
| Hard Surface | 1,314 | 690,248 |
| Paved | 17,852 | 14,500,327 |
| Cost per mile per year | Roads | Bridges | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earth | $924 | $1,005 | $1,929 |
| Granular | $4,572 | $2,063 | $6,635 |
| Hard Surface | $16,669 | $3,169 | $19,838 |
| Paved | $18,463 | $4,722 | $23,185 |