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State DOT holds meeting to gather input on Highway 28 project
Mixed reaction to 2011 road project that will start in Kewaskum, end in Farmington
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By Andrew Kuehl
11/14/07 KEWASKUM- It wasn’t all smiles and not all moans and groans either as the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) came to town late Wednesday afternoon, November 7 to gather input from residents along Highway 28 where a reconstruction project is set to begin in 2011. Over 40 people came to the Community Room at the Village Hall to view the plans firsthand.
Plans presented at the informational meeting reveal that the state DOT will proceed with plans to upgrade the 77 year-old roadway that exceeds the statewide crash rate average. The project will see the reconstruction of Highway 28 east from US 45 to the bridge over the west branch of the Milwaukee River in the village.
Completion of the preliminary design is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2008. The state will start right of way acquisition in the summer of 2008. Final plans will be presented in the fall of 2010 so that construction can begin in the spring of 2011.
Christine Rawson, the project manager explains that inside the village, those on Main Street will see new concrete sidewalk, storm sewer, curb/gutter, and new asphalt pavement. The village is also set to replace all water mains and sanitary sewers. The bridge over the west branch of the Milwaukee River in the village is also scheduled for minor repairs and a concrete overlay.
Rawson goes on to explain that from the west branch of the Milwaukee River to the east limit of the village, proposed improvements include continued pavement replacement, storm sewer repairs and extension of the existing sidewalk.
Outside of the village, east to State Highway 144, the proposed work includes milling and overlaying the existing pavement with areas of reconstruction to improve safety according to the DOT. “In each of these areas the hills and valleys of the roadway make it difficult to see hazards in the road ahead and have been contributing to crashes,” Rawson explains.
These areas include Hickory Drive to Forest View Road, the intersection of County HH/Wescott Road and an area just west of Valley Vista Lane.
Rawson explained that according to population estimates, in 20 years, traffic is projected to be 8,200 vehicles per day in the village and 3,600 vehicles per day in the townships.
Time to find a new route?
The estimated 10,000 motorists who use the road per day will need to find themselves an alternate route or use the detour that is planned during construction. Rawson stated the detour route will follow Highway 45 south then east on County Road H to north on Highway 144.
Main Street in the village of Kewaskum will be closed to through traffic during construction. “A contractor can rebuild a road more quickly and less expensively if all traffic is removed during the work,” Rawson said.
Kewaskum Area Chamber of Commerce President, Scott Sadownikow stated in an email that he was not fully made aware of the plan but Chamber members will be able to hear from Village Administrator Jay Shambeau at their December meeting.
Access to residences and businesses will be maintained on Main Street with a minimum of one gravel lane open at all times. One lane over the Milwaukee River bridge will remain open at all times.
Outside the village, Highway 28 will remain open to traffic except in areas of reconstruction. Driveway approaches may be closed for a period of time required to construct new approaches. Residents will be given a minimum of 48-hour notice in such events.
Sidewalks, crosswalks, bike lanes, parking and aesthetic improvements all being planned
Rawson explains that parking is not currently allowed in the village at intersection corners in order to provide visibility for safety. From Highway 45 to the Milwaukee River, the sidewalk is proposed to be widened in a fashion known as “bump outs” at the intersections and also at existing crosswalks and the Eisenbahn Trail crossing.
An extra wide travel lane is also proposed on Highway 28 in the village to provide on-road bicycle accommodations. As a result, parking will be removed from Highway 28 east of Parkview Drive to the bridge. Parking is also proposed to be removed from the north side of Highway 28 in front of the St. Lucas and Holy Trinity Cemeteries. This is proposed to provide for extension of the sidewalk to Kettle Drive and bicycle accommodations.
Kewaskum’s Village Administrator Jay Shambeau stated that the village has looked into the state’s Main Street Program, however at the current time he says the village is not in a position to make application to the program. He encouraged business owners on Main Street to possibly work with the village in developing a local main street initiative.
More information will be forth coming on "streetscaping" and community sensitive design items. This could include, decorative lighting, crosswalk painting, benches, planters, etc. The intent of this program is to improve the aesthetics of the downtown experience during a time that the entire area is disturbed during reconstruction.
Proposed cul-de-sac at Hickory Drive
Residents showed their displeasure of a proposed cul-de-sac at south Hickory Drive. The DOT states their reasoning for the cul de sac is due to the angle of the intersection combined with the steep' slopes blocking the view of traffic on Highway 28.
Real estate acquisition is anticipated with this project. In the village, temporary easements are required for minor grading, landscaping, and matching driveways and sidewalks to the new roadway. Outside of the village, in areas of reconstruction, permanent right of way is required. Since the design is preliminary, exact right of way impacts have not been determined.
Who foots the bill?
Shambeau says the village plans to replace the entire water main and sewer main as part of the project. The village will be responsible for all of these costs. The replacement will be funded by the water and sewer utility. The village will also be responsible to fund the entire cost of pavement in all parking areas.
“We have placed monies in the street maintenance restricted fund balance to offset the looming 2011 cost. We do not know the specific costs to the Village at this time,” stated Shambeau.
The cost of new sidewalk where none currently exists will cost the village 20%, and 50% of new lighting where none exists. The state will fund all of the bridge maintenance work. The remainder of work will be funded with 80% federal funds and 20% state funds.
Funding is available to the village for enhancements and landscaping.
Outside of the village, 80% of the funding for the project will come from federal sources; state monies will pay the remaining 20%.
Plan gets mixed reviews
“The Village was pleased to see the number of individuals who attended the DOT public informational meeting. The Village understands the concern of residents and business owners located on Hwy 28. We are actively working with the DOT engineers to minimize the negative effects caused by the reconstruction,” stated Shambeau.
There will be additional opportunities for comment provided by both the DOT and the Village. Handouts and comment sheets from the informational meeting are available at the village hall for individuals who could not attend the informational meeting but would still like to be heard. The form can also be downloaded from The Statesman website.
“In general, I was very happy with the turnout of people. We realize that our projects have a big impact on communities and we really like to have input from the people who use them the most,” concluded Rawson.
Officials in Port Washington are bracing for a similar road project to the heart of their downtown in March of 2008. The Ozaukee Press reports that city officials there convinced the DOT to stipulate an incentive/disincentive clause with a completion date. That particular clause would give the contractor an additional $3,000 per day if stages are finished ahead of schedule and subtract that same amount if the project did not finish on time.
When asked if the state would negotiate a similar deal with the contractor involved in the Highway 28 project Rawson reported, “I have not discussed this approach with the village and they have not requested it directly. In any case, as a result of the meeting last week, we will definitely be putting something in the contract to encourage the contractor to complete work in the village in a timely manner. It will be determined later as the plans are developed further. Another option is to limit the number of working days instead of giving a completion date.”
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