County reports millions in Red Jacket Trail flood repairs and continues bridge-dam coordination with state, federal agencies

Blue Earth County Public Works staff told the County Board of Commissioners on Aug. 5 that heavy rainfall in recent weeks caused widespread flood damage across county roads and trails, forced closure of the Red Jacket Trail for safety reasons and produced preliminary cost estimates of between $2.3 million and $3.3 million to repair the trail and associated structures.

The county’s public works director, Ryan (Public Works Director), said the rainfall totals in some areas reached “up to 12 inches” over a week, with some localized one‑time totals near 8 inches, and that several trail crossings and timber trestle bridges are in “critical condition.” He said work to stabilize and reopen the trail would at minimum require repairing two high trestle bridges and a damaged double 72‑inch culvert, plus other culvert repairs and repaving.

The county provided preliminary cost ranges for major items during the update: about $187,000 to replace one 80‑foot timber trestle with a 72‑inch culvert; roughly $215,000 to replace a second timber trestle; about $472,000 to replace a double 72‑inch reinforced‑concrete pipe that has severe joint and slope failure; and additional culvert replacements near $170,000. Rehab or replacement of high trestle decking could range from about $620,000 to $915,000. Ryan said a full repaving estimate is roughly $340,000, producing the $2.3M–$3.3M project total when critical locations are included.

“We had already been scoping this a little bit,” Ryan said, “but obviously, this massive rainfall event has forced our hand with a few of these items.” He added that some locations are extremely difficult to reach and that contractor pricing could be higher because of access limits.

County staff closed the trail after discovering multiple washouts and safety hazards; Ryan said the closure will remain until at least the most critical repairs are completed. He said staff had previously planned to seek Minnesota Department of Natural Resources legacy grants and other state funding and that the county had begun building a funding reserve for match dollars; the extreme damage increases the funding gap.

Ryan said the county has engaged Ericsson Engineering to perform a structural inspection of the highest timber trestle bridges to scope repairs or replacement and expected that inspection in the coming months. He said some culvert repairs could be accomplished more quickly, but the trestle work requires specialized inspection and design.

Relatedly, the board heard an extended briefing on the County State Highway 9 bridge and associated dam project, where the county is coordinating with MnDOT, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and FERC about bridge foundations, river channel armoring and potential ecological restoration. Ryan said engineers are studying whether deeper drilled‑shaft foundations for bridge piers would reduce the extent and cost of river armoring required if the bridge remains in place during dam removal or modification.

Ryan said the county executed a change order with consulting firm Barr to add a third‑party hydraulic review and that the Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) RGU was designated as the county by the Environmental Quality Board. He warned that FEMA funding is uncertain and that a FEMA eligibility window may close if the county’s work extends beyond several years.

Ryan said the county had asked the DNR and Corps whether significant channel stabilization could be avoided or sharply reduced; he reported that the agencies did not provide firm guidance and that the DNR had indicated it generally avoids stream stabilization in highly erosive rivers because of cost and risk. The county will continue iterations of hydraulic modeling; Ryan said each iteration is time‑consuming and raises cost questions the board must resolve.

Why this matters: the Red Jacket Trail is a regional recreational corridor, and closure affects access, safety and local tourism. The bridge/dam project could require tens of millions in construction and restoration work depending on design choices and federal and state requirements, and funding sources remain uncertain.

Next steps: staff will receive the Ericsson bridge inspection, continue hydraulic modeling and coordination with MnDOT, DNR, the Corps and FEMA, and pursue available grant programs while preparing more detailed project scoping and cost estimates. The county will not reopen the trail until critical repairs are completed and inspected.