Contacts
- Dana Hanson
218-846-3609
Location
Minnesota Department of
Transportation
1000 Hwy 10 West
Detroit Lakes, MN 56501
218-846-3600
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FLOODING UPDATE
Highway 75 at Georgetown to close at noon today
DETROIT LAKES, Minn. —(9:30 a.m.) The Minnesota Department of Transportation will close Highway 75 at Georgetown today at noon due to construction of a dike on the highway by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Traffic will be detoured on Clay County Road 26, Highway 9 and Highway 2.
Highway 75 at Georgetown will remain closed until further notice.
Motorists should plan accordingly. When a road is closed it is illegal to travel in that area. Motorists can be fined up to $1,000 and/or 90 days in jail. In addition, if travelers need to be rescued from a closed road, other expenses and penalties will apply.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Minnesota State Patrol urge motorists to drive with caution as flooding continues to affect area highways and interstates in west central Minnesota.
Road closures
The following state highways are closed until further notice:
- Highway 75 at Georgetown will close at noon today. Traffic will be detoured to Clay County Road 26, Highway 9 and Highway 2.
- Highway 75 is closed near Kent. Traffic is detoured to Wilkin County Road 3 and Wilkin County Road 26.
- Highway 12 is closed approximately 2 miles east of Ortonville. Traffic is now detoured to Highway 75, Highway 7 and Highway 59.
- Highway 12 is closed approximately 7 miles east of Ortonville at Horseshoe Lake. Traffic is now detoured to Highway 75, Highway 7 and Highway 59.
Open – use caution
The following state highways west central Minnesota are currently open but conditions can change rapidly. Motorists should use extreme caution approaching the following areas:
- Highway 117 west of Highway 27. Open to traffic, watch for water on the roadway.
- Highway 200 approximately 12 miles east of Mahnomen at Twin Lake Creek. Open to traffic, watch for water on the roadway.
- Highway 55 east of Wendell at the Mustinka River. Open to traffic, watch for water on the roadway.
- Highway 28 just west of Barry. Open to traffic, watch for water on the roadway.
Every flood is dangerous to motorists. If you must travel in the west central Minnesota area, follow these safe driving practices (source: Federal Emergency Management Agency http://www.fema.gov/hazard/flood/fl_during.shtm):
- Expect the unexpected – flash floods can occur anytime, anywhere.
- Flooding can knock out bridges, undercut highways and clog roads with mudslides and debris.
- MnDOT will identify which roads are closed and warn motorists of potential pavement break up or soft shoulders that could give way.
- Drivers are warned not to drive around barricades and to check the state's traveler information Web site www.511mn.org or call 5-1-1 for road conditions, closures and alternate routes.
- Do not drive into flooded areas.
- If floodwaters rise around your car, abandon the car and move to higher ground if you can do so safely.
- Six inches of water will reach the bottom of most passenger cars causing loss of control and possible stalling.
- A foot of water will float many vehicles.
- Two feet of rushing water can carry away most vehicles including sport utility vehicles and pick-ups.
- Log on to http://www.dot.nd.gov/travel-info/ for North Dakota current road conditions and http://www.safetravelusa.com/sd/ for South Dakota current road conditions.
For updated information, call 511 or click on www.511mn.org when traveling in any area of the state where potential flooding conditions exist. For weather and flood warnings, go to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Web site http://www.noaawatch.gov/floods.php or listen to NOAA weather radio or local radio stations.