The price of installing private culverts in the County of Grimes just decreased, as County Commissioners OK’d the use of high density polyethylene instead of traditional metal or concrete.
Prior to the vote, County Road and Bridge Engineer Harry Walker explained to the Court the reason that culverts made of plastic had been banned in the first place.
Walker said some of the local fire services had expressed some concerns that under the right circumstances, polyethylene can actually burn.
But he said that both he and County Emergency Management Coordinator David Lilly agree that in private use that risk would be what he called “fairly minimal” when compared to the savings.
And Precinct 2 Commissioner David Dobyanski pointed out the possibly unexpected economic effect upcoming work of the county’s new drainage crew will have on some residents. He told the court that, depending upon what they might find, some county residents may have to replace the culverts that are currently in place on their property.
Then, clarifying it would only affect culverts on private driveways, the motion to allow HDP culverts passed unanimously.
