QUARRY – Residents of Quarry describe their community as quiet, safe and nice place to live.

Located a few miles southeast of Marshalltown, the unincorporated town is home to a few dozen families. Farms lie on its outskirts.

Last week, however, a decades old bridge that links the community to its only blacktop access road was closed, prompting concern for several residents.

Structural deterioration discovered during a November inspection compelled Marshall County Engineer Paul Geilenfeldt to block bridge access to motor vehicle traffic on Feb. 11.

“It’s not safe for public use,” he said.

The bridge, on Yates Avenue, spans two busy railroad tracks situated south of Quarry. It is more than 150 feet long and rises 15 feet off the ground.

Union Pacific Railroad, of Omaha, Neb., owns the structure, which complicates plans for possible repair or replacement, said Geilenfeldt. There isn’t any guarantee as to how quickly the company would go about fixing it.

Geilenfeldt said he contacted UP after closing the bridge and is waiting for the company’s initial proposal.

UP spokesman Mark Davis said a bridge team inspected the structure Saturday.

“They are in the process now of coming up with a timeline of anything that needs to be done to the structure,” he said.

Some Quarry residents said townspeople can’t afford to wait long.

The unexpected closure of the Yates Avenue bridge jeopardizes vehicle access to the town, they said.

Access problems

Longtime Quarry resident Jane Gummert, 62, said the bridge has existed since she was a child.

The problem with its closing is a lack of alternatives to travel in and out of town other than the low-lying, dirt and gravel Quarry Road, she said.

Sections of Quarry Road on both sides of town often flood in spring when nearby creeks become waterlogged.

During those times, the bridge and Yates Avenue are the town’s only exit.

“I don’t know if they are going to fix it or not,” Gummert said. “If they don’t, it’s going to make it tough for people to get in and out of here, especially if you need an emergency vehicle. It would be very tough if it floods.”

If Quarry Road were to flood when the bridge is closed, the town would be cut off from all points of access.

Current and former residents expressed additional concerns aside from flooding.

Gideon Ihde worries heavy snows will make Quarry Road impassible and fears county workers will not make plowing the road a priority.

Eleanor Rutledge noted the turnoff onto Quarry Road from Zeller Avenue to the east is a steep hill. “When it’s icy it’s not a good place to turn,” she said.

Charlie Gummert characterized one of the two railroad crossings western Quarry Road passes through as unsafe because it lacks warning lights.

Those are worries Geilenfeldt said he understands.

He noted residents may have a pessimistic outlook on bridge repair in light of a 2013 bridge closure in the nearby town of Le Grand.

That structure is also owned by UP and in need of repair. It remains barricaded.

“The locals have seen that a bridge that is closed over the railroad, that’s owned by the railroad, sometimes just stays closed for a long time. So they’re afraid that this one (in Quarry) is going to have the same situation,” Geilenfeldt said. “I’m hoping we can avoid that, but if it comes down to [UP] replacing the bridge, it’s going to be a long-term closure.”

Repair plans

Geilenfeldt said he does not have access to records indicating the year the Yates Avenue bridge was built, but he guesses its construction predates World War II.

The wooden planks that cover the driving surface are in good condition, he said.

They were replaced in repair work UP conducted more than a decade ago.

What concerned the county’s bridge inspector was wood rot and erosion observed in a section of the bridge’s support structure, Geilenfeldt said.

Metal beams that support the underside of the wooden flooring are also deteriorating from rust.

“The steel is just flaking off the bottom of it,” Geilenfeldt said of a beam.

Geilenfeldt said the bridge is not in danger of catastrophic failure, or collapse, but he’s not taking any chances.

Because UP owns the structure, the company would be responsible for its repair.

Geilenfeldt anticipates UP inspectors will work with the county to determine the repairs necessary to reopen the bridge.

“I will be investigating all options,” he said.

Given the bridge’s age, Geilenfeldt speculates any immediate structural repairs would be temporary solutions.

He said the aging structure might have to be demolished and a new bridge constructed, which could take several months or years.

Alternatively, converting the area to an at grade rail crossing might be possible.

If Quarry Road remains the town’s primary access route, road maintenance would have to increase, Geilenfeldt said.

“It will get more regular rock and blading because the traffic on that road will go up quite a bit,” he said.

Flood plans have not been developed yet, but options are being considered.

Geilenfeldt said the grade of Quarry Road could be increased to reduce the chance it would be submerged by floodwaters.

“The road would have to be brought up in elevation,” he said. A waterway bridge east of town would also have to be replaced.

The costs would be significant.

“With that all being bottom ground down there, there isn’t going to be a lot of suitable material to use as fill,” Geilenfeldt said.

Whether the road could be paved would depend on UP’s “level of participation” in the project, he noted.

“Improvement of that mile and a quarter of Quarry Road would likely exceed the cost of $1 million,” Geilenfeldt said.

Whatever solution county engineering and UP staff develop, Quarry residents urge county officials to quickly arrange for the bridge’s repair.