The Drayton Bridge over the Red River closed overnight Sunday.
With the closing of the Drayton Bridge, only 4 bridges over the Red River remain open between the Canadian border and Fargo. They are:
n N.D. Highway 200 (I-29 Exit 100) south of Hillsboro, N.D., to Halstad, Minn.
n U.S. Highway 2 (Gateway Drive) in Grand Forks.
n N.D. Highway 5, (Exit 203)at Joliette, N.D., to Minn. Highway 175, which leads to Hallock, Minn.
ADVERTISEMENT
n N.D. Highway 59 at Pembina, N.D.
In Oslo, Minn., highway access from the east remains cut off, as water is flowing over Minn. Highway 1. Local traffic is being allowed access to town from the North Dakota side of the river, along N.D. Highway 54, however.
A spokesman at the Oslo Fire Hall said most of the ice on the river now is gone.
Over the weekend, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finished building a temporary dike along Main Street to protect the city from the rising river.
It's a "sit and wait" situation for Oslo, Minn., as the Red River continues to rise, said Marshall County Emergency Manager Gary Durand Sunday.
Barring major ice jams or precipitation, he said, everything should be A-OK.
On Sunday, he said, the city brought in a new 350-kilowatt generator in case power is cut off to the town's lift station.
The town is surrounded by floodwater, with road access closed to all but local traffic.
ADVERTISEMENT
As of 9 a.m., the river level at Oslo was at 37.76 feet, according to the weather service. The river is projected to crest at 38 feet on Wednesday. The weather service expects the river to drop to 37.5 feet by early Sunday.
Reach Bonham at (701) 780-1110; (800) 477-6572, ext. 110; or send e-mail to kbonham@gfherald.com .
