AMES, Iowa – July 8, 2011 – The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) held an
emergency bid letting earlier today (Friday) pertaining to work related to the Missouri River
flooding. 

As a flood mitigation effort, the highway grade of southbound Interstate 29 will be
raised about one foot using hot-mix asphalt from milepost 103 to 104 in Monona
County, south of the Blencoe interchange. The length of the project is approximately
4,200 feet. 

The Iowa DOT received three bids for the project. The apparent low bidder is Western
Engineering Co. Inc. of Harlan. Their bid was $1,189,650.55. They will have 10 days
to complete the work after the project is started. 

Governor Branstad has signed a Proclamation of Disaster Emergency conditionally
suspending, for this specific project, the Iowa law that imposes a $1 million
emergency letting limitation. If not suspended, the law would have hindered or
delayed restoration of this critical highway and bridge. 

Emergency work is necessary to prevent flooding from potentially inundating the
roadway at this location.