DOT suggests box culverts to cure Smith Creek flooding

The round, four-foot culvert carrying runoff from Smith Creek beneath Highway 63 to Lake Hayward could not keep up with flood waters in September 2014 and July 2016, so the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) is proposing a fix — a very large fix.

John McCue, public works director, said the DOT is proposing to place a box culvert from the west side of Highway 63 to roughly 30 feet inside Hayward Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram. The 10 feet wide by six feet high culvert would be capable of handling a 100-year rain event such as the 2014 and 2016 downpours.