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... The County Road 9 Bridge is at risk of crumbling, and officials said they have little recourse. The threat to the bridge accelerated after a bout of heavy rain and flooding pummeled the Midwest for days.

The Blue Earth River's water levels rose dramatically and tested the structural integrity of the dam. The dam has held up, but the specter of collapse hasn't waned.

Now, the roughly 40-year-old bridge locals use to commute across the dam from rural patches of land to nearby towns, may topple over if the weather doesn't cooperate.

"Unfortunately, we're at the mercy of Mother Nature at this point," said Ryan Thilges, the public works director for Blue Earth County. "We're very concerned about the potential for partial or full failure of the bridge." ...