Proposal to reconstruct Sauk County Highway A unveiled

July 17, 2008

Project would restore Lake Delton by next spring

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation, working in concert with the Department of Natural Resources, Department of Military Affairs, Federal Highway Administration, Sauk County and the village of Lake Delton, has developed a proposal to rebuild Sauk County Highway A and restore Lake Delton.

County A has been closed and traffic has been detoured since a breach caused by heavy rainfall in early June created a new channel from Lake Delton to the Wisconsin River approximately 700 feet long by 370 feet wide and 30 feet deep. The breach drained the 267-acre lake of more than 600 million gallons of water and damaged or destroyed at least four homes, and washed out County A.

The state has temporarily taken over jurisdiction of Sauk County A because it has the expertise and resources to quickly address the redesign and construction of the project.

Since the breach, multiple teams have been working on developing design alternatives, coordinating funding issues, and communicating with affected stakeholders. A diversion channel has been installed in an effort to redirect the flow of Dells Creek toward the dam that was originally built to create Lake Delton.

The proposal to rebuild County A includes providing enough fill to rebuild the road and provide an adequate base to support the highway. The proposal would not restore all the land washed away by the flooding. The state has been meeting with property owners to acquire land needed for the project.

The state is working to ensure the project will provide a well-engineered solution that minimizes the possibility of future failures, has as little impact on adjacent properties as possible during the reconstruction, and meets applicable federal and state guidelines, laws, and approval processes.

The timeline for the reconstruction project includes a letting of bids in late August, starting construction in early September, opening County A in December, and refilling Lake Delton by spring 2009.

A public information meeting on the proposed County A reconstruction was held at the Crystal Grand Music Theater in Wisconsin Dells Wednesday, July 16 to receive input from local residents and officials on the preferred alternative.

For more information, contact:
Bill Oliva, Project Manager
(608) 246-7911, william.oliva@dot.state.wi.us