A washed-out bridge in the Town of Chase will likely take at least a couple weeks to get repaired, according to Jon Spice, Oconto County’s emergency management director.
“We had similar similar washouts to that back in 2022, when we had that tremendous rainstorm,” Spice said, referring to roads that were washed out around culverts on County A in the Town of Maple Valley and County B in the Town of Spruce.
In the Maple Valley incident, where an Oconto County Sheriff’s deputy’s squad car crashed into the water after the pavement gave way, it took slightly longer than two months for that road to reopen.
“I believe when I talked with the town chairman, he told me that [the pipes under the road] were installed in, like, 1986,” Spice said. “So I would imagine it’s probably not a bad idea to replace everything.”
Town of Chase Chairman Gary Van Lannen said he didn’t have a time frame for repairs to be completed. “It’s going to be a little getting used to for a while,” he said. “[Drivers] will have to go around to get to town.”
Spice said it is fortunate that none of the Oconto County roads that were closed due to the aftereffects of the heavy rainfall were on dead-end roads, so nobody was stranded.
Besides Jaworski Road, other roads that were closed this week were:
Abrams man injured as truck crashes into Little Suamico River
Robert Morrow, 25, of Abrams, was heading south of Jaworski Road, south of South Chase Road, shortly before 5 a.m. April 14 when he came upon that washed-out bridge, according to the Oconto County Sheriff’s Office.
Morrow and his truck crashed into the Little Suamico River, which had flooded following significant rainfall, and the strong current ending up pushing the truck about 40 yards downstream.
“The driver was able to get out of the vehicle,” Spice said of Morrow. “He had some minor injuries.”
A sheriff’s deputy said he couldn’t see the truck when he responded to the scene, as it was completely submerged.
The truck was left in the river, “until it’s safe for somebody to go in and hook it up,” Spice said.
Water level on Oconto River declines
Water level on the Oconto River near Oconto was on its way down April 17 following a recent surge due to storms.
A flood warning issued by the National Weather Service in Green Bay continues until Tuesday, April 21. It is expected that the Oconto River will fall below flood stage, which is under 9 feet, late Monday evening, April 20.
The river peaked at 11.51 feet at 3 p.m. Tuesday, April 14. At 3 a.m. Friday, April 17 it had declined to 10.60 feet.
Historically, the recent peak is the river’s fifth highest crest ever, according to records posted by the National Water Prediction Service, which is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The highest the river ever rose was 14.53 feet on April 21, 1952; followed by 14.51 feet on April 15, 1986; 13.24 feet on March 29, 2004; and 11.89 feet on April 19, 2019.
“I think we’re about ready for about five or six sunny days in a row to kind of let everything recede and get back to normal, but that’s my opinion,” Spice said. “Unfortunately, I don’t get to control the weather.”
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Oconto County bridge washout to take weeks to repair
Reporting by Kevin Dittman, Green Bay Press-Gazette / Green Bay Press-Gazette
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