Reinforced soil slope takes shape north of New Ulm
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NICOLLET COUNTY -- Dump trucks hauled dirt away from Nicollet County Road 14 and side dump trucks hauled in gravel for a massive, reinforced soil slope forming just north of the Beussman Bridge, north of New Ulm Wednesday.
Nicollet County Public Works Director Seth Greenwood said the project began in the spring of 2019 when a slope failure happened on the hill just north of the CR 14 and CR 21 intersection.
"We reached out to Gale-Tech Engineering and SRF Consultants of the Twin Cities and they partnering to come up with the reinforced soil slope plan," said Greenwood.
"When we were getting ready to open project bids in late July 2020, a couple big rain events dumped about 10 inches of rain in the area," Greenwood said. "Three more slope slides developed. The original project wasn't big enough, so it got longer and taller."
Greenwood said the $3.2 million project affecting more than 800 feet of CR 14 (615th Avenue), includes storm sewer work.
"The original project was to begin in September and end in November," said Greenwood. "The late July rains caused the project to double in size. There is no way to finish it this year. We'll work this year until we're stopped by winter weather. The road will be closed this winter. We plan to finish the project next spring."
Greenwood said the project will be paid by federal highway emergency relief funds and state aid disaster relief funds. The project will not involve using any usual county revenue sources.
"Getting those funding sources is a reason why it took a while to get the project underway," said Greenwood.
County Road 21 remains open during the project, although it has stop signs and narrows to one lane for a short time just east of the CR 21-14 intersection.
The Fort Ridgely Creek bridge project that caused the lengthy closure of the Fort Ridgely State Park main entrance, is about to open.
Greenwood said the bridge should be open to traffic Thursday or Friday, Nov. 5 or 6.
The $1.5 million bridge project with rip rap to stop erosion, replaces two 1930's era box culverts over the creek that drains a 70-mile drainage area. The creek used to swell and clog up the culverts with tree debris when lots of rain fell or during spring thaw.
"The project would have been done in August, but was delayed in July when a few (concrete) forms let go underneath the concrete deck when the contractor was pouring the bridge deck," said Greenwood. "Concrete and steel rebar sagged through. Concrete was re-poured."
Greenwood said county state aid construction funds will pay for the entire project.
"We're excited to have it (the bridge) open and so is everybody else," said Greenwood. "The design is supposed to simulate cut stone and granite. We thought it would look good in that setting."
Fritz Busch can be emailed at fbusch@nujournal.com.
Staff photo by Fritz Busch
Contractors are building a reinforced soil slope up Nicollet County Road 14, just north of the Beussman Bridge, north of New Ulm Thursday. The $3.2 million project including storm sewer work, involves hauling out about 25,000 cubic yards of dirt and hauling in about 65,000 tons of sand to build the slope. The road will be closed over the winter for the project planned to be completed next spring.