FAIRFIELD — The long-planned replacement of the aging golf cart bridge at Walton Lake has hit a significant delay, with Drish Construction confirming it will not begin dam construction work before the end of 2025. The announcement pushes the project into the next construction season and leaves uncertainty about when bridge demolition will begin.
The update came through an email from Fairfield City Engineer and Public Works Director Melanie Carlson to the city council on Dec. 1. Carlson informed council members that the contractor “will not proceed this year” with the dam construction and that it remains unclear whether Drish will still attempt to remove the existing bridge before year-end.
The city previously hired Drish Construction to replace the bridge with a large 8-by-10-foot box culvert embedded within a new earthen dam—an upgrade intended to improve water flow, safety, and long-term lake management.
Only a week earlier, during the Nov. 24 council meeting, Carlson had shared a far more optimistic timeline. She said Drish was preparing to mobilize heavy equipment to the site “either later that week or next,” with the plan to begin demolition of the bridge and launch construction activity soon afterward. But those plans quickly changed.
A combination of factors over the Thanksgiving weekend—including measurable snowfall, saturated ground conditions, and freezing temperatures—forced Drish to halt preparations. The early winter weather, Carlson said, made it impractical and unsafe for crews to begin major earthwork or dam construction. As a result, the project is now firmly pushed into 2026.
The city’s dam safety construction permit from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) remains valid through October 2028, giving Fairfield flexibility to adjust the schedule. However, the separate permit authorizing the drawdown of Walton Lake was based on an expected 75-day construction window, meaning additional coordination with the state will be necessary.
“While I’ve had previous conversations with Iowa DNR dam safety regarding extending the drawdown period, and they had no concerns, we will reach out to them again to discuss the current timeline,” Carlson wrote in her message to the council.
The delay adds another twist to a project that residents around Walton Lake have been watching closely. The replacement of the deteriorating bridge is considered a key infrastructure upgrade for the lake area, and shifting construction to 2026 means the community will wait longer for improved safety and drainage features.
City officials expect further discussions with Drish Construction and the DNR in the coming weeks to solidify a revised spring 2026 start date and ensure the lake drawdown, permitting, and construction windows align.
Originally reported by Andy Hallman in South East Iowa.
