Radtke Contractors fined for Rat River bridge job

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Winneconne-based Radtke Contractors Inc. must pay $18,500 for failing to remove concrete debris that had fallen in Winnebago County’s Rat River during a 2006 bridge construction project, according to the state Department of Justice.

Radtke was hired by the state Department of Transportation five years ago to replace the Highway M Bridge built over Rat River in the town of Winchester. In June of that year, Radtke allowed large pieces of concrete to fall into the river during removal of the bridge, according to the DOJ.

The project’s contract and water quality certification required Radtke to remove any debris that fell into the river during construction, while state law forbids placing materials in the bed of a navigable water without permit.

DNR officials were alerted of debris that had fallen into the river during the construction in 2008, and during investigation of the scene, notified Radtke of the violation in July 2009. The concrete was removed from the river in November 2009.

Radtke has also been fined by the state on two other occasions for construction-related offenses, including $15,000 in April and $60,000 earlier this month.

— Adam Wise