Focus turns from Rapidan Dam to adjacent bridge [Video]

MANKATO, Minn. — A week after the rain-swollen Blue Earth River surged around the Rapidan Dam, nature’s wrath is clearly evident. A large section of the western bank is missing, and the adjacent Blue Earth County Highway 9 bridge has been closed.

Governor Tim Walz traveled there Tuesday to get a closer look at the aftermath and thank emergency preparedness and public works leaders for their efforts to keep the public safe amid historic flooding.

“And I can’t give enough thanks to the folks, making good decisions, stabilizing the situation, and then simultaneously started thinking about what does recovery look like,” Walz told reporters.

The river level has dropped, but it’s still cutting away at the banks, and the sandstone the County 9 bridge piers sit upon, which is why the bridge is closed and may need to be replaced.

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