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DOT Crews Work To Clean Up And Repair Southwest Iowa Highways

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The Iowa Department of Transportation is working to assess damages to highways as water recedes in southwest Iowa. The damages look daunting in photos.

There are around 6 miles of roadway still underwater, and there are 12 miles of shoulder still under water that have not yet been assessed.  

County roads have been decimated, and some have collapsed bridges or lost shoulders. Fremont County's Secondary Roads Department says all repairs collectively could take months to two years and could cost at least $6 million.

As of Monday, the Iowa DOT does not have information about when all state roads will be reopened. A spokeswoman for the DOT said in an email that it is too early to get a real picture of the estimated cost of damages because they have to wait for the water to recede to fully assess all of the roads.

Lindsey Moon is IPR's Senior Digital Producer
Katie Peikes is IPR's agriculture reporter