Flood damage to Business 151 in Monticello believed minimal

Flood damage to Business Route 151 in Monticello from weekend flooding Maquoketa River probably won't take long to repair once flood waters recede,  a county highway official said.

Jones County Engineer Mike McClain said Monday that he had heard reports of serious damage to the busy route, and one member of his staff has been on the scene.

McClain said “there are some minor problems” with the highway, which the county is still in the process of reviewing as flood waters go down. He didn't expect them to require a long-term closure.

Business Route 151 is one of about a dozen roads closed by the weekend flooding on the Maquoketa River and Wapsipinicon River in Jones County, McClain said, including Lead Mine Road, Jungletown Road, and County Road E-17.

“Any time water gets over a road, damage is possible,” McClain said. .

Iowa Department of Transportation spokeswoman Dena Gray Fisher said that so far the state has found no significant damage to highways in Eastern Iowa from flooding. Minor damage was found on a stretch of Highway 38.

That could change as flood waters still covering a few highways, including Highway 136 north of Onslow in Jones County, recedes.