Village public works staff reported a failed storm culvert under U.S. Highway 50 that has separated at multiple joints, dropped sections of pipe on the riverside bank and created a sinkhole in the roadway shoulder.

Public Works Supervisor Nate told the council the village had a contractor run a video inspection and found joints “separated all the way across,” with parts of the pipe dropped down the river bank. The failure has produced a sinkhole that staff measured as deep and widening; someone driving over it could lose a vehicle, officials said.

The village’s regional state representative placed metal plates across the road within hours after staff raised the issue, officials said, to prevent vehicle damage while a longer-term fix is planned. Initial cost estimates for permanent repair ranged from about $90,000 to $130,000, with one estimate noted as higher when traffic control and other work were included.

Staff described short-term measures: filling the hole with a fast-setting “nickel concrete” and paving the top as a temporary measure, and a local contractor planning to cut out a roughly 10-by-10 area and rebuild the pipe sleeve and joints under the road to stabilize the spot. Council members and staff said the village will keep the metal plates in place until the repair can be done safely.

Council and staff also discussed longer legal and funding issues. Public works staff said state policy had shifted so that some U.S. highways that previously received regular state maintenance are now the responsibility of the municipality. Because of that, the village is seeking emergency assistance through state channels and contacting the state emergency site-scanning office and their state representatives to request financial help. Staff said a request to the state emergency board would be pursued on the grounds that the condition qualifies as an emergency.

Council members asked staff to obtain additional local estimates and to continue pressing the state for assistance. In the meantime, staff said they would order a temporary fill and traffic controls and proceed with the most practical stabilizing repair until a permanent fix and funding arrangement are secured.

The council did not take a formal vote on funding at the meeting; staff advised that an emergency declaration or state approval would be needed before accepting state-funded repairs if offered.