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Wright County secondary roads update: brush cutting, snow response and bridge piling incident
Summary
County engineer staff reported completed brush-cutting work, preparations for winter storms, repair work by the bridge crew and a piling incident where a hammer piston failed while driving piles to bedrock at a bridge project.
Wright County engineering staff on Feb. 3 told supervisors the secondary roads department has completed much of its planned brush cutting and was preparing for a forecast winter event while bridge crews addressed equipment repairs at an ongoing project.
Adam Clemens, Wright County engineer, briefed the Board of Supervisors on routine secondary-roads work and weather readiness. Clemens said crews finished many brush-cutting work orders and completed 21 work orders recently. He said the department had plans in place for an expected winter system, and that staff would coordinate with the sheriff's office and emergency management as needed if conditions required closing the courthouse or limiting road operations.
Jeremy Abbas, assistant to the Wright County engineer, updated supervisors on bridge construction activity. Abbas said the bridge crew repaired a small trailer used with the county excavator because of repeated broken boards; the cost for materials was reflected on a local lumber bill. Abbas also described a separate incident during pile driving at the project: crews hit bedrock and, as the hammer struck, the piston "shot out of the top of the hammer," damaging equipment. No injuries were reported; a replacement hammer was brought in to continue work.
Clemens and Abbas said the county monitors National Weather Service briefings and may convene an emergency call with the sheriff and emergency management staff before any courthouse closure decision. "If there's any aspect of possibly closing the courthouse, we try to do a meeting, an emergency meeting so we can brief you and so you can make a decision," Clemens said.
Supervisors asked clarifying questions about the piling work and safety; officials emphasized that despite the equipment failure the crew and contractors followed safety protocols and no one was hurt.
The board received the update with no formal action recorded beyond discussion and direction to continue monitoring weather and project progress.
