Ames, Iowa — The director of the Iowa DOT gave the state Transportation Commission an update on flood recovery efforts during their meeting Tuesday. Director Scott Marler says one of the big jobs was helping haul debris away.
The DOT brought in its large dump trucks and other equipment to help move the Spencer material to a dump site.
Marler says the floodwater kept people away for some courthouses, so they couldn’t renew driver’s licenses.
Marler says they also help out with inspected flooded buildings.
They also worked on getting flooded roadways back open. DOT Chief Engineer Tony Gustafson says at the height of the flooding there were 49 highway closures. Some highways had multiple closings.
Gustafson says there were three highways still closed as of Tuesday. They include US 18 west of Spencer.
He said they were still working on a culvert that was blown out on US 75. But as of Tuesday, Highway 75 was opened between 210th and 260th streets in Lyon County, according to law enforcement. They tell us the road is open from Rock Rapids to Sioux Center and beyond, except for the construction zone around Sioux Center, with the official construction detour going east from Perkins Corner on Highway 18 to Sheldon, south on Highway 60, and west on Highway 10 until the Million Dollar Corner north of Maurice.
