Pine County still feeling effects of summer floods

HINCKLEY, Minn. (KMSP) - A washed-out road in Hinckley, Minnesota has been widening with every rainfall since mid-July, causing a major inconvenience to the residents who live along it.

Approximately 45 residents live along the Old Government Road, which has been caved in since a bout of rain caused seriously flooding in the area on July 11.

Kurt Ericson, a concerned resident who lives along the road, told Fox 9 no one is getting their mail delivered and most people have to drive an extra 40 minutes around the road just to get to work.

“As far as federal law goes they’re supposed to have this road passable within thirty days. It’s been since July,” Ericson said.

What makes this worse? Ericson says township and board officials knew the Deer Creek Culvert would give way.

“They knew about it quite a while ago,” Ericson said. “Back in October of last year, we gave them a heads up that this was going to happen [with] the first major rain.”

While Ericson believes this washout was preventable, Lewis McFerran with The Barry Township Board says his hands were tied.

“I’ve talked to the county engineer; I’ve talked to homeland security – they’re swamped,” McFerran said.
So, a project that would’ve cost $250,000 to repair is now going to be much more expensive.

However, McFerran tells Fox 9 Old Government Road should be passable by Thanksgiving at the latest. 

Ericson says once the road is repaired he and the other residents will finally get their lives back. 

“I’d be driving back and forth the work instead of staying down there and living down there for a week, so yeah, it’s a big deal,” Ericson said.