Hwy 210, Hwy 2 Flood Damage Reconstruction

Hwy 210 in Carlton County and Hwy 2 in St. Louis County

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Damage to Hwy 210

There are six major areas of damage on Hwy 210. The damaged areas are listed below from the west to east.

 

Photo of beams being set for the new bridge just east of the Thomson Bridge.


Beams for the new bridge were set in September. The bridge is now finished and open to traffic.

  1. A 18-foot-diameter overflow pipe located next to the Thomson Bridge failed when St. Louis River flood waters overwhelmed the pipe’s capacity. MnDOT replaced this pipe with a new 110-foot-long bridge. The new bridge opened in December 12.

    Overflow water from the St. Louis River was confined in the overflow pipe to an area of 254-square-feet. The new bridge provides a 1360-square-feet area for overflow water to bypass the Thomson Bridge.

    The new bridge and damage to the pavement approaching the Thomson bridge was completed as part of the existing contract that was in place for a scheduled bridge rehabilitation project that began in June. The Thomson Bridge reopened December 12.

  2. The west Jay Cooke State Park entrance had to close after a 6-foot-diameter culvert buried beneath Hwy 210 was overwhelmed and caused a 35-foot-deep, 100-foot-wide gap in the pavement. KGM Contractors was awarded a $793,000 contract for this repair and work is underway.

    A $310,000, custom-made, box culvert has been installed. The new culvert is 250-feet-long, 12-feet-wide and 8-feet-high, and consists of about 50-sections that were connected on-site. Hwy 210 to Jay Cooke State Park Headquarters and the campground reopened October 22.


    Photo showing Forbay Lake completely drained of water.

     

















    The Forbay Lake basin stands empty. The 30-arce lake completely drained as a result of the storm.

  3. An earthen embankment along the south shore of Forbay Lake just east of Jay Cooke State Park headquarters gave-way on June 20. Within minutes of the collapse, all of the water in lake gushed through woods, carrying with it rocks, trees and anything else in its path. Jay Cooke State Park officials estimate that three-quarters-of-a-million gallons of water was released when the embankment failed. When this water reached Hwy 210 its speed and velocity sliced a 50-foot-deep, 250-foot-wide gash in the highway.

    MnDOT engineers and consultants have been collaborating to discuss repair options. This section of Hwy 210 will not reopen until 2013 or later. A permanent solution will be designed after Minnesota Power (owners of Forbay Lake property) determines a repair strategy for their dam infrastructure. MnDOT hired the bridge consultants through an emergency contract.

    Photo showing the path the water took after the earthen dam at Forbay Lake breached. The earth is scoured of trees and vegetation and what is left is coated with mud.

     

















    As the water from Forbay Lake rushed downhill toward the St. Louis River it scoured the woods of trees and vegetation and left mud-covered debris.

    Another contractor has been hired using an emergency contract; to make safety improvements for workers testing soils in the damaged area; to do any work necessary to prevent more damage to the highway until permanent repairs can be made; and to prevent erosion from occurring and potentially causing environmental damage.

  4. Between Jay Cooke Road and the Minnesota Power Generating Station, the storm caused a 7-foot-diameter culvert to become plugged with debris including a huge stump. Unable to properly drain through the culvert, the water eroded the soil beneath Hwy 210 and caused a section 25-feet-deep and 100-feet-wide to wash away. In this same area a 500-foot-long slope failure above and below the highway occurred. In some areas the highway slid into the ravine.

    Photo showing Hwy 210 with a large section of missing pavement where the water of Forbay lake eroded it away.

     

















    Hwy 210 stands high above eroded slopes on both sides. MnDOT is considering various options for how this heavily-damaged section can be permanently repaired.

    A new, 12-foot-diameter corrugated steel culvert has been installed using an emergency contract to provide Minnesota Power employees access to the station. Slopes near the power station have been stabilized with soil nails (see below). All soil nailing work is expected to be complete in late-October, 2012. The highway is currently open to Minnesota Power Employees and contractors only.

  5. Numerous mud slides buried Hwy 210 and/or exposed the highway by washing away the earth below it between Hwy 23 and Snowball Landing. Clearing of this section is nearing completion and damage assessments are being made.

    Ground-penetrating radar and other geophysical testing technologies are being used to determine soil types and ledge rock locations to help determine the best repair strategies.

  6. MnDOT has hired Soil Nail Launcher, Inc. to stabilize areas along Hwy 210 that are prone to mud slides. The process they are using is called soil nailing. Slopes west of the park and near the Minnesota Power Generating Station are being stabilized under an emergency contract.