The Le Mars City Council considered two applications for funding through the COVID19 Relief Recreational Trails Program Grant at its May 4 meeting.
The Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT) recently notified communities that $5 million in funding is available through the COVID-19 Relief Recreational Trails Program. Applications are due May 17, and if accepted, projects must be completed by Sept. 30, 2023. Projects must have a minimum $500,000 request.
The city is requesting that a wooden bridge on the Le Mars Recreation Trail over Willow Creek, which was damaged in the flooding that occurred in March 2019, be replaced.
The bridge was repaired to a usable condition; however, those repairs were never meant to be permanent. Complete replacement of the wooden bridge with a steal truss bridge to match four other bridges on the recreational trail was planned when funding would become available.