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2016 Storm Damage Getting Fixed in National Forest

Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest-U.S. Forest Service

  

Construction to permanently repair roads and trails damaged during the 2016 flood event in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest is underway.

Several northern counties were hit hard on July 11 when up to 14 inches of rain fell in a series of unexpected thunderstorms.

Forest spokesperson Hilary Markin says this year's work is being done in the Great Divide District including Ashland, Bayfield and Sawyer counties..

"...We started doing some repairs last fall. We did a lot of temporary repairs right after the 2016 event. We worked with the federal highways administration to get to this point so we can get our contracts in place to do the permanent repairs. We're going to be working on some of the roads that have had closures since the '16 flood. There's also a bunch of roads we did temp repairs on right after the event and those roads are going to have their repairs done now..."

Contractors will be working to replace culverts and bridges, repair washouts, resurface roads and other road and trail repairs. The Forest will be using social media and the Forest’s website to post updates on where construction activities including temporary closures.

Since the July 2016 event, the Forest has been working with the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration’s Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division to complete the permanent repairs. There are eight portions of roads closed where emergency repairs were not possible given the size and scope of damage. This closure order will remain in place until the permanent repairs are complete.

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