25 Richland roads closed two months after flooding

Twenty-five Richland County roads remained closed Tuesday because of flooding, two months after rains washed away roads and bridges across the state.

Five of the 50 county-maintained roads that were closed during October’s floods remained closed.

Repairing those roads will take time because they are atop a damaged bridge, dam or culvert, Richland County Public Works director Ismail Ozbek said.

In addition, 20 state roads remain closed in the county, down from a peak of 133.

Richland County maintains about 3,300 roads – approximately 800 miles — and 300 were damaged in the flooding, Ozbek said.

He expects the cost to repair the damaged county-maintained roads to be finalized in the coming weeks. The Federal Emergency Management Administration will cover up to 75 percent of that cost, he said.

Statewide, road repair costs because of flooding are estimated at $137 million, including $49 million in state money.

This story was originally published December 8, 2015 at 5:12 PM with the headline "25 Richland roads closed two months after flooding."