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County outlines widespread flood damage, keeps Red Jacket Trail closed pending repairs
Summary
Public works staff told the Blue Earth County board that intense summer storms caused extensive road, culvert and trail damage, with preliminary repair estimates for the Red Jacket Trail ranging roughly $2.3 million to $3.3 million; the trail will remain closed until critical repairs are completed.
Blue Earth County public works staff on Aug. 5 told the County Board that a series of intense rainfall events caused substantial flood damage across the county and forced the temporary closure of the Red Jacket Trail while staff scope repairs.
"We encountered a considerable amount of flood damages with some excessive rainfall amounts ranging anywhere... up to 12 inches," Public Works (Ryan, speaker 8) said, describing multiple washouts, scoured shoulders, filled sediment ponds and culvert failures across several county roads. Ryan said crews cleared intakes and performed emergency actions but reported many locations will require larger repairs.
Ryan outlined preliminary estimates for the trail and other key locations: replacing a timber trestle bridge and installing a 72-inch culvert at one location (about $187,000), another 100-foot trestle replacement at roughly $215,000, replacement of a double 72-inch reinforced concrete pipe and slope repairs at about $472,000, and pedestrian-bridge options that could range from $550,000 to $665,000 per location. He said five additional culvert locations are in bad condition (estimated total replacement cost about $170,000) and that the combined preliminary project estimate for repaving, culvert and trestle repairs is in the $2.3 million to $3.3 million range.
Ryan told the board the trail will remain closed until the most critical repairs are completed and staff can secure funding. He said the county will pursue funding options, including DNR legacy grants and coordination with FEMA and state aid, but cautioned that some grant avenues may take two to three years to materialize and FEMA is not guaranteed to approve a declaration for every event.
Board members asked about immediate next steps; Ryan said staff will pursue assessments, third-party inspections (already hired for a high trestle inspection) and grant discussions with state agencies and FEMA while prioritizing safety-critical repairs.
