Engineer

The Emmet County Secondary Roads Department has responsibility for over 644 miles of paved, gravel, and dirt roads. This does not include the 53 miles of primary roads in Emmet County that are the responsibility of the Iowa Department of Transportation, nor the municipal streets in Emmet County. The Secondary Roads Department lays gravel, grades roads, plows snow, places signs and maintains the road right-of-way, including drainage tiles within the right-of-way. The department also maintains many culverts and bridges within the county, and oversees their design and replacement when necessary.

The County Engineer, who is the head of the Secondary Roads Department, issues permits for the following:

• New driveways and entrances onto county roads
• Utilities to be constructed in the right-of-way
• Right-Of-Way encroachment
• Overweight and oversize moving

The Secondary Roads Department has maintenance shops in various locations around the county (Estherville, Armstrong, Ringsted, Wallingford, Dolliver and Gruver) and is headquartered on the first floor of the Emmet County Courthouse in Estherville.