Flood damage closes two River Road bridges
One bridge likely a total loss
Trending
DAYTON -- Heavy rain and flooding have washed away portions of River Road and damaged two bridges near Iowa Highway 175, leaving one crossing potentially beyond repair and unlikely to be replaced before 2027.
Webster County Engineer Jamie Johll said both bridges are closed. One is about a mile south of Iowa Highway 175, the other is north of the highway, where a massive log jam damaged a bridge pier.
"It is most likely a total loss," said Johll of the northern bridge. "It will not get replaced this year, but hopefully in 2027 or 2028."
Along River Road, the damage from last week's flooding remains visible in washed-out soil beside bridge structures and a deep gap cutting into the roadway at one crossing. Barricades and orange safety fencing block drivers from traveling on the roadway.
According to Johll, the bridge south of Iowa Highway 175 may be salvageable, but a complete assessment isn't possible until waters recede.
The northern bridge faces a much longer closure because of the damage caused by debris.
"A massive log jam damaged one of the piers," said Johll.
The closures follow heavy rainfall last Thursday that fell primarily across southern and southeastern Webster County. A rain gauge at Oak Park Golf Course in Dayton recorded more than 3.5 inches in just a couple of hours, leaving the ninth hole underwater.
Webster County Emergency Management Coordinator Dylan Hagen said roughly two inches fell around Fort Dodge, with more than three inches near Dayton.
"With the already saturated ground, this rainfall caused more of an issue," Hagen said last week.