Pike County may be on its own when it comes to paying for some flood control.
The Missouri Department of Transportation doesn’t have the money to reinforce county roads that would be vital if Highway 79 is cut off by high water, commissioners learned Monday.
The discussion follows an outlook, first reported by the Courier-Post two weeks ago, in which the chances of major Mississippi River flooding were rated better this year than they were in 2008, when the second-worst inundation in history rolled through the region.
Pike County is among local governments from Keokuk to St. Louis that are taking precautions as snow melts and spring rains begin.
“We don’t know whether it’s going to be severe or not, but we want to be prepared,” said Pike County Presiding Commissioner Dan Miller.
MoDOT District Engineer Paul Gough said she can “sympathize with (the county’s) concerns” but “ our primary focus is the state highway system.”
Highway 79 already is cut off at Ashburn. A mudslide that took out the roadway last November was the second such occurrence in two years.
Gough said engineering work is being completed on the stretch and that MoDOT should have a final cost estimate soon.
The two options being explored are to fix the road, as was done in 2008, or relocate the highway. Costs could range from $1 million to $3 million, and Gough said a timetable for construction will depend upon funding availability.
Highway 79 carries more than 900 vehicles a day through the area and is a vital north-south link. Motorists have been using a county road around the Ted Shanks Wildlife Area as a detour.
Meanwhile, Pike County also would like to shore up a gravel road near Louisiana that would be used as a detour in case flooding again closed Third Street on the south side of the city.
Miller did not have an estimate of how much the work would cost, but the county has sought federal and state funding to help with the project.
“We’re not confident it’s going to happen in the near future, but we want them to know it’s a top priority for us,” Miller said.
Miller added that experience has taught the county not to take the river for granted. Contingency plans are being discussed with area mayors and communities are being told to stockpile materials.
After all, the four worst floods in area history have all happened in the last 37 years.
“We’re concerned,” Miller said. “We don’t want to be caught at the last minute.”
