Rural Bridge Troubles
|  Video
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| Kevin Gribble & Charles Koch |
| 4/14/2009 |
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| Rural bridges have had to deal with a lot of troubled water the past few weeks. Some have been washed away; others have been damaged by ice. Seven bridges on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation have been destroyed or seriously damaged by water or ice. An ice chunk severed a support piling from the Four Mile Creek Bridge north of Kenel. Splinters are all that remain where the support once stood. As a safety precaution, half the bridge is closed until further notice. Standing Rock Transportation Planning and Development director Pete Red Tomahawk says, "It`s a major concern because the bridge is approximately 50 years old, and when the bridge was constructed 50 years ago the load capacities were a lot lighter." FEMA discussed these and other flood related concerns with tribal officials Tuesday afternoon. FEMA`s Scott Logan notes, "I`d say within the next 30 to 60 days we`ll be able to know what they`re going to be getting from FEMA, how it`s going to be paid." In rural Morton County, the bridge on County Highway 134 over Louse Creek was completely washed away by surging water. And it could stay that way for a while. Charles Morman of Morton County Highway Department says, "We`re talking at least a year from now to get a bridge built. The bridge I`m sure will be well into the $300,000-$400,000 range." In the meantime, officials need to temporarily bridge the gap. The question now is how substantial that temporary bridge should be. "They`re go through this whole thing again, pay a bunch of money to have this whole thing wash out again next spring on purpose, or do you try to build something that`s armored enough to be able to stand some kind of a runoff again and hold it in place until the bridge gets built," explains Morman. About a mile away, officials are also monitoring a bridge on the Dogtooth Creek. Part of the north abutment has crumbled into the water below. Concern remains, but as the water level decreases, the threat of further erosion seems to be decreasing. Authorities say if you come across a bridge or road that`s been closed, do not go around the barricades. Doing so could result in criminal charges. |
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