Dry conditions hurting rural gravel roads in Woodbury County

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — Remnants of the dry fall season can be found on rural gravel roads.

Woodbury County engineer Mark Nahra says that in some cases, a road can be bladed off one day only to have washboards back a day later.

Buchanan Avenue east of Sioux City is covered in both pavement and gravel. In the past, some residents have raised issues about a dusty and rutted gravel road surface.

Nahra says the county is working to control dust with two different dust control plans and that adding more paved roads in the county is unlikely.

Local farmer says harvest season is looking good, but weather worries him

"We've had a lot of residential complaints about dust," he said. "It's a local road, so it has to come off the local property taxpayers' backs. "And, you know, we just don't have that kind of revenue. We're trying to do the best we can with what we've got in the paved gravel and dirt road system right now. Upgrades are difficult."

Buchanan Avenue covers several miles, running from Salix all the way to just northeast of Sioux City's city limits. Woodbury County has more than 1,000 miles of gravel and dirt roadway.