Sawyer County weighs replacement options for one-lane Connors Lake structure as state funding remains uncertain

Sawyer County highway staff told the county board the one-lane structure at Connors Lake will likely be replaced before winter if the Department of Natural Resources allows it, but funding and permit requirements remain uncertain.

County Highway staff member John said the department has two options under consideration: a bottomless culvert with concrete footings or a full-cover culvert and end/wing walls. He told the board he will meet with a DNR official the next morning to confirm which designs the agency will permit and whether a hydrology study will be required.

The issue matters because state bridge funding and permitting rules can change both the cost and timeline for small-structure repairs. John said the county is trying to keep the Connors Lake replacement under 20 feet so it does not enter the state bridge program, which would trigger federal and state requirements and raise costs. ``I just gotta get the DNR's blessing,'' John said. ``I meet her at 10:00 tomorrow.''

County staff provided preliminary cost figures during the discussion. For one prefabricated structure the presentation listed $48,500 for the structure alone; another figure cited in the meeting was ``$97.07,'' which staff described as the price for a bottomless option but did not clearly present the full labor and installation costs. Separately, staff said a fully covered culvert option was shown at $59,000 for the structure with additional line-item costs of $5,500 for each head wall and $3,300 for each wing wall; staff said tallying those components would put the full installed cost above $100,000.

John also noted the county has inspected its own small structures and found relatively few problem sites, but warned that many town-owned structures had not been inspected. ``The towns in Sawyer County have not been inspected yet, and I have a lot of concerns with that because I think the towns are gonna get hit hard on these small structures under 20 feet,'' he said, adding that the county compiled a spreadsheet showing 101 small structures across the local jurisdictions.

The highway official said the county may be able to do some replacements with in-house crews to avoid the state bridge program, and that he will return with a recommendation after meeting the DNR. He told board members he hopes to replace the Connors Lake structure before winter if permitting and funding allow.

Board members asked about water flow and the potential need for a hydrology study; John said the channel is not large but is used by spawning fish and that the DNR staff are aware of that. He also told the board there is possible legislative discussion about funding for small-structure replacements but that no new funds have been allocated in the current budget.

John said he can return to the board next month to report the DNR's decision and proposed next steps. The highway office also discussed scheduling a public road tour for the county board to view recent and proposed work, and staff said such a tour would be informational only and would not include action items.

Less-critical details from the highway presentation included ongoing paving operations elsewhere in the county and recruitment for a highway foreman position; staff also reported one retirement in the department.

The county did not take a formal vote on the Connors Lake structure during this meeting; staff said they will report back after the DNR meeting.