The Columbia City Council had a light agenda Monday night, with the only items being discussion of a Monroe County Highway Department bridge replacement on Bluff Road slated for next year and approval of funding and engineering for an upcoming project on Ghent Road. 

Monroe County is planning to completely replace a bridge over Carr Creek just north of Valmeyer Road next summer, a project which is expected to take four to six months to complete and will require a complete closure of Bluff Road. 

Columbia City Administrator Doug Brimm updated aldermen on communication between Monroe County Engineer Aaron Metzger and Columbia City Engineer Chris Smith  regarding use of the recently repaved Valmeyer Road as a possible detour during this construction.

Brimm cited a letter from Metzger in which  the county engineer stated he did not believe any damage to Valmeyer Road would be caused by the detour, but that Monroe County would agree to repair and maintain this roadway during bridge construction.

Metzger also wrote his department will inform the Village of Valmeyer and businesses in the Rock City complex of the planned detour, urging use of Route 3 to Waterloo and Route 156 to Valmeyer as a preferred alternate route for any “heavier truck traffic.”

Brimm said he would like a traffic study to be done prior to and during the project to establish a proportional amount for possible compensation due to this expected increase in detour traffic. 

He added there is a system in place to differentiate between an increase in larger, commercial vehicles and standard passenger cars and trucks.

Ward I Alderman Doug Garmer asked if electronic message signs could  be used near the project during construction to encourage using different routes.

Brimm said the city could possibly utilize its own electronic signs to remind motorists of the detour. 

Aldermen also approved use of motor fuel tax funds in the amount of $430,000 and an engineering agreement with Gonzalez Companies LLC not to exceed $32,000 for the first phase of an upcoming project on Ghent Road from Christina Court to the Palmer Creek Bridge.

The council approved the project during the Aug. 8 meeting. The first phase will cost $1.2 million and includes resurfacing, widening and curb and gutter work on the road.

Smith said the work should begin in about four to six weeks and be completed in about four months.