LEHIGH — A $6.2 million federal grant awarded to Webster County will help pay for replacing the aging Lehigh Bridge.

Webster County received the grant in the first round of awards from the FY2025 Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

“Webster County was the only recipient in Iowa,” said Webster County Engineer Jamie Johll. “The amount of grants we have recently been awarded is almost unbelievable. This is proof positive of how important the relationships that we’ve built are, particularly the face-to-face time the D.C. delegation has during those trips.”

The project will replace the Lehigh Bridge with a new pre-tensioned, pre-stressed, concrete beam bridge that meets current design and safety standards. Additionally, roadways that connect to the bridge will be realigned and upgraded, including approximately 1,300 feet of East Hill Street (County Road P60) and a portion of Mill Street (County Road P70) east of the intersection with Main Street in Lehigh.

“Jamie has done a wonderful job applying for and securing grants for projects that we might not otherwise be able to afford,” said Webster County Supervisor Niki Conrad. “Funding like this is instrumental in helping smaller, rural communities like Lehigh replace aging infrastructure without putting additional stress on their budget.”

The award is part of the FY2025 round of funding. Johll also applied for grants in FY2024 and FY2023.

Johll also secured an additional $2 million state grant and $1 million federal grant for the Lehigh bridge project.

Construction is tentatively slated for 2026.

According to Johll, the existing bridge will remain in place while a new bridge is built just downstream.