Some flood-damaged highways in Northwestern Wisconsin may be closed for months

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation reported Thursday that it may take months to fully reopen flood-damaged highways in Bayfield, Ashland and Iron counties. Damage from the flooding - caused by 8 to 10 inches of rain that fell Monday into Tuesday - is estimated at more than $10.5 million in Iron County alone.
U.S. Highway 2 between Ashland and Hurley, U.S. Highway 63 near Grand View in Bayfield County and State Highway 13 between Ashland and Mellen remained closed Thursday because of washouts.
Those three closures are forcing lengthy detours for drivers in the region - and the floodwaters washed away many other town, county and state highways.
WisDOT reported Thursday that damage assessments of state highways are still underway. On Highway 2, water levels near Odanah were still too high to fully assess the damage as of Thursday afternoon, WisDOT spokeswoman Diana Maas reported.
Authorities are aiming to get a contractor at the site of the Highway 63 washout on Monday, Maas said. Preliminary estimates are that it may take a month to repair the damage.
And along Highway 13, where several washouts occurred in the Highbridge and North York areas, WisDOT is “working with the county to find a safe county trunk highway to use as an alternative route. This may take some time as county roads have damage as well,” Maas said. Early estimates are that permanent repairs to Highway 13 could take up to five months.
State emergency management officials reported Thursday night that Iron County officials had estimated $10.6 million in damage to public infrastructure in the county, including Saxon Harbor. The marina and campground at Saxon Harbor were devastated by floodwaters from Oronto Creek, with docks washed away and dozens of boats swamped or grounded.
The salvaging of sunken boats at the harbor is slated to begin today, state officials reported.
Damage estimates were not yet available for Ashland and Bayfield counties.
In Burnett County, state officials said, inspections of the sewage treatment plant in Webster “found significant damage due to flooding.” The bridge that joins Minnesota Highway 48 and Wisconsin Highway 77 across the St. Croix River between Hinckley and Danbury reopened Thursday, as did State Highway 35 north of Danbury.

List of flood-related road closures in the Northland