Show All Answers

1. (2019) When will a certain road in Hardin County get rock?

No timelines are being given. With 779 miles of unpaved roads to maintain, the secondary roads crew will be stretched very thin. The goal is to continue hauling as often as possible to as many different locations as possible. Hardin County does not want to concentrate their efforts in one specific spot with such a large-scale disaster. The County is pursuing outside help in placing the rock to speed up the process, but it will most likely take the majority of 2019 to get back to normal.

2. When will the frost boils be fixed?

An article referencing frost boils from 1961 talks about the possible fixes for frost boils, but all were just theories at the time.

In that amount of time, a specific solution has never been determined. The best solution to this day is to do nothing but wait for the frost boil to dry out. Sometimes the road crew will attempt to level the area or pour rock on top, but these methods often prove ineffective.

3. When will the county blade my road?

Typically; roads are bladed weekly when conditions are appropriate depending on weather and traffic conditions. If a road is too wet, the motor grader will sink and cause ruts. If a road is too dry, the grader can’t properly move the rock.

4. Why is the grader driving with his blade up?

Each grader operator has 70-80 miles to cover in that time frame, sometimes moving under 5 miles/hour. In order to reach every stretch of road the grader may have to travel with the blade up.

5. When will the snow be removed?

The Hardin County Snow and Ice Removal Policy (PDF) has been in place since the mid-1990s. It states that snow will be cleared from 5:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The policy also gives a priority to paved routes if necessary. The goal of each snow event is to open both lanes of all highways and at least one path of each gravel road. Some snow events are too severe to achieve this goal. In the event that fog or blowing snow reduce visibility to a dangerous level, Hardin County will not perform snow removal operations.

6. Who maintains the county line roads?

Hardin County has agreements in place with four of our adjoining counties. Each county splits up the number of miles and maintains the entire right-of-way for that portion.

View County Line Maintenance Jurisdictions Map (PDF)

7. Why is there water or snow in the ditch still?

Ditches are designed on the sides of a roadway for the distinct purpose of holding and moving water as naturally as possible. If there is no waterway or tile system in the area, the water has no choice but to stay where it is and slowly soak into the ground.

8. Can I outlet a tile or septic system into the ditch?

No, both these practices are illegal by Iowa Code. Tiles must outlet on private property and then flow into the county right-of-way.

Septic systems must flow into an approved system as per Iowa Code, Chapter 69 (PDF). Contact the Hardin County Sanitarian at 641-939-8135 or by email for more information.

9. How do I build a new driveway or extend an existing driveway?

The Engineer’s Office has a Driveway Permit Application (PDF) to apply for a new driveway or to enhance an existing driveway. The road crew will check the location and determine if it is acceptable and whether it requires a culvert. All the costs for a new or widened driveway are at the landowner’s expense.

10. Can I get a culvert pipe from Hardin County?

No, Hardin County purchases culvert pipe without tax. Therefore the county cannot resell something that should produce state sales tax.