It may cost as much as $1.5 million to repair Jefferson County roads and bridges damaged by flash flooding on Wednesday night (July 1), authorities said at a press conference this morning (July 2) at the Jefferson County Administration Center in Hillsboro.
Jason Jonas, the county’s Public Works director, said those figures could change when officials complete more extensive inspections.
“The current estimate is a half million to $1.5 million in infrastructure damage to the road system,” he said.
Jonas said several roads were closed this morning but probably would be reopened by the end of the day.
He said four bridges in the Hillsboro area were closed this afternoon, and two could remain closed for an extended period of time, maybe two or three months, at least.
The other two bridges – one on Whitehead Road and the other on Klondike Road –
could be at least partially open today, Jonas said.
One of the more seriously damaged bridges is the Castle Ranch Road bridge off Hwy. 21 a few miles south of Hillsboro. Jonas said the damage to that bridge are so extensive, the county will need to seek bids for the repair work. The bridge spans a tributary to Cotter Creek.
Ray Jones, who lives near the Castle Ranch Road bridge, said he ended up with 4 inches of water in his house’s lower level. He said it was the worst flooding he has experienced at his home in the 32 years he has lived there.
“We’ve had flooding,” Jones said. “But, it would never get this high.”
Jonas said the Clayton Huskey Road bridge off Hwy. BB west of Hillsboro may be even more severely damaged than the Castle Ranch Road bridge.
County Executive Ken Waller said a number of businesses along Hwy. 67 also were damaged by flooding.
Warren Robinson, director of the Jefferson County Emergency Management Office, said as many as 80 people had to be evacuated from two mobile home parks: Lakeside Manor mobile home park off Hwy. 61 and Lifestyle Mobile Home Park along Hwy. 67.
Robinson said damage assessment teams began investigating damage at the mobile home parks today.
“If we can get folks back into their homes, we’d like to do it,” he said.
Robinson said he urges anyone with flood damage to contact his office at 636-797-5310, extension 0.
“If you have damage to your property, please tell us so we can include it in our report to the state,” he said.
Mike Ginger, the county Parks and Recreation director, who attended the press conference, said five of the county’s 12 parks are closed because of flooding.
Parks closed because of flooding from the Big River are Browns’ Ford, Morse Mill, Cedar Hill and Rockford Beach. Jefferson Winter Park is the only county park closed to flooding from the Meramec River, he said.
However, the Arnold City Park also is closed because of flooding from the Meramec River.
West City Park in Festus is closed because of flooding from Joachim Creek.