The four-year Regional Transportation Improvement Program was approved at MIDAS’ regular board meeting Wednesday night.

This program is needed for the region to receive more than $2.6 million a year in federal funding for roads, bridges, and other transportation needs.

The plan was prepared in May, but held over for one month as the board cleared up some questions on projects, said Shirley Helgevold, local assistance manager. It passed as written, with the only changes being some spelling corrections.

The local plan covers a range of projects, from bridge replacements and repaving roads, to building new trails in the Des Moines River Valley and at the Gypsum City Off-Highway Vehicle Park.

It also lays out a tentative schedule for DART bus replacements and a new bus facility in Humboldt.

The federal transportation bill has expired, said Helgevold, and Congress has only been keeping it alive through short-term extensions. Local planners have to guess what future funding might be.