State Highway 22 will be closed to through traffic between Oconto Falls and Stiles in 2017 to accommodate a four-month, $3.5 million highway improvement project.
About 30 residents from the towns of Stiles and Oconto Falls met with Department of Transportation representatives Nov. 11 to look at project plans, listen to a short presentation and voice questions and concerns.
Project Manager Matt Ternes welcomed attendees and moved quickly into the presentation by stating that budget cuts prompted the DOT to eliminate the proposed widening of the shoulders.
“Doing that saved a lot of real estate,” Ternes said.
The project will consist of improvements to 4.22 miles of the highway from Highland Drive in Oconto Falls to Highway 141 in Stiles.
Two processes will be used in different areas to remove and replace existing asphalt.
One process consists of removing existing asphalt down to the existing concrete, adding 9 inches of gravel to raise the height of the road bed, then overlaying with 5 inches of new asphalt. This will raise the road about 8 inches. The second will involve milling, or removing, 1 inch of the asphalt and then overlaying with 4 inches of blacktop. In these areas, the road bed will be raised 3 inches.
In addition to resurfacing the road, two box culverts constructed of reinforced concrete and four culvert pipes will be replaced.
Intersections at Fireside Road/County Road I, Larson Lane and Younger Road will be upgraded to address safety issues.
Concerns regarding the Fireside Road/County Road I intersection were expressed by town of Oconto Falls resident Dean McLeod who owns property on the northeast corner of the intersection.
“I don’t know how many people have to die at that corner before we do something about it,” McLeod said. “At the minimum you need an illuminated sign there or something. The town doesn’t even cut the ditch there.”
Recently a traffic accident at the intersection resulted in the deaths of three elderly people.
Wade Jeske agreed, saying, “The county road is the problem. They gotta stop.”
Others expressed concerns about the 55 mph speed limit of the roads leading into the intersection.
Dan Segerstrom, DOT project supervisor, acknowledged these concerns but said the speed limit will not change without justification.
“Go to your local municipality and request that a speed study be done,” Segerstrom recommended.
A handout available at the meeting stated appropriate speed limits on Wisconsin highways are set by determining the speed at which 85 percent of the drivers are traveling.
“Most people choose a reasonable speed in which they feel comfortable and safe,” the handout stated. “Traffic engineers look to see the average speed drivers are going in an area and use that to set limits.”
The same handout explained that setting and posting a lower speed limit is only effective when law enforcement officers are present to enforce it.
During the construction period, Highway 22 will be closed to through traffic. Local traffic will have access to residences, but temporary driveway closures will be necessary during parts of the process. Homeowners and businesses will be contacted in advance before driveway closures occur.
Through traffic will be detoured around construction in two stages. In the first stage, traffic heading east on Highway 22 will be detoured north on County Road B, then east on County Road A, and south on Highway 141 back to Highway 22. For traffic heading west, the opposite will apply.
During the second stage, traffic heading east on Highway 22 will be routed north on County Road I, then east on County Road A to Highway 141 where travelers can head back south to Highway 22.
When questioned about the possibility of the state budget affecting this project, Segerstrom said he did not anticipate any changes.
“In this snapshot in time with the money that we have – I don’t see the scope of this project changing,” he said.
Ternes said things are moving forward in accordance with the time line set by the DOT.
“We are wrapping up the design. Plans and specs will be ready by May of 2016, and the project will be bid in August of 2016,” he said.
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