People who are spending some time on the Heart of Iowa Trail this spring may notice some construction crews working in the area. At a special meeting of the Story County Conservation Board last week, the board approved the resetting of a large culvert near the trail, east of Cambridge, that was damaged by high water events in the area, according to Mike Cox, director of Story County Conservation.

“This is a culvert, if you can imagine, that runs parallel to the trail and allows water in the waterway or ditch … to flow through,” Cox said.

Cox added that no work will take place on the trail itself, but the repairs are necessary because the “wings of the culvert” have eroded and are no longer functioning.

“It’s not usable right now and as a crossing it’s not usable. So, in order to maintain the integrity of that crossing, we have to do this work,” Cox said.

Even if the trail does not need to be closed, Cox said the construction work will be noticeable for people using the trail during the repairs.

“I don’t think we will have any trail closures but there will be some big equipment in there to work on it,” Cox said.

The overall cost of the construction project will be approximately $11,000 and the work will begin in May and be completed in late May or June, depending on weather, according to Cox.The work will also depend on the planting season, Cox said.

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