By Madeleine Neal
Ever since Johnson County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Janelle Rettig was elected seven years ago, she has been interested in sustainability projects in the state — specifically one in Buchanan County.
That county was the first in Iowa to construct a bridge of recycled railroad cars, and now, Johnson County will follow suit by putting in a bid for a similar project on Lower West Branch Road.
Ed Bartels, a Johnson County assistant engineer, said the project is in a good location with a low volume of rocks.
“[It will be] a really strong bridge,” he said. “For us, that’s an ideal situation.”
The bridge is expected to last anywhere from 50 to 100 years.
In addition to its strength, Bartels said, the bridge will be cost effective. The railroad cars, he said, are often discarded because of routine adjustments to federal regulations; this, however, does not mean the materials are useless.
“[This is a] method that’s been used very successfully in other places,” he said. “[It’s also] better for the environment — it’s a very green [project.]”
Supervisor Chairman Mike Carberry said the reuse of the railroad cars is very adaptive.
“Johnson County has always been a leader as far as innovation and sustainability,” he said. “[It’s] probably the greenest thing we can do.”
The energy that the railroad cars embody is better used in a bridge than in a landfill, he noted.
“[This is the] right application,” he said. “I’m excited that Johnson County continues to be a leader for sustainability and going green.”
Rettig said she believes the bridge project is “the ultimate recycling” initiative.
Though the project is a first for Johnson County, she said the idea is not so radical as it may sound.
“Road performance will be tested,” she said. “[It’s a] great way for the county to recycle.”
For Rettig, the project is about “practicing what the county preaches” in terms of sustainability.
“[It’s] just another piece of the puzzle,” she said. “I’m really excited about it.”
