SECONDARY ROADS

The Engineer's Department is in charge of construction and maintenance for all of the Secondary Road System in Appanoose County . This includes all roads and bridges not located within the city limits of any town except Farm to Market (FM) extensions through cities with population less than 500, or highways on the Primary Road System which include IA 5, IA 2, and IA 202. Appanoose County's Secondary Road Department is responsible for 765+ total miles which include 115+ miles of paved or hard surfaced roads and the remaining being either granular or dirt surfaced. On those roadways Appanoose County maintains 192 bridges that are inspected according to the National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS) every 2 years and 20 structures legally called culverts which are less than 20 feet in span length.

The Secondary Road Department is divided into two divisions, Engineering and Maintenance. The County Engineer , who is appointed by the Board of Supervisors, is in charge of both divisions. The Code of Iowa requires the County Engineer to be a Registered Professional Engineer licensed in Iowa.

Normal business hours are from 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM , Monday through Friday
Summer business hours are from 6:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Thursday

ROAD SCHOLAR AWARDS

Neal Smith , Road Foreman, with Appanoose County Secondary Roads Maintenance Department has become a Road Scholar.  He has recently completed fifty (50) hours of training in Workzone Safety and Management Class making him a Roads Scholar II.

Greg Cowan, Engineering Technician, with Appanoose County Secondary Roads Engineering Department has also become a Roads Scholar.  He has recently completed thirty (30) hours of training in a Math Fundamentals Class making him a Roads Scholar I.

The Roads Scholar program was designed to formally recognize Iowa 's transportation workers for their commitment to improving their skills and knowledge.

"Regular training for our employees has really paid off.  They come back sharing and utilizing what they have learned, and that helps everyone be more productive and motivated," said Jim Armstrong , Appanoose County Engineer.  Sponsored by the Iowa Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) at Iowa State University , the Roads Scholar program consists of a curriculum of training workshops and a system of tracking workshop attendance.