The greeting has become familiar for Main Street merchants in Oconto Falls.
“Hi, you made it through,” said Todd Daniels, as he welcomed a customer to Admax Friday afternoon. Just outside his door at 130 N. Main St. sits the heavy equipment, abandoned for the day, but otherwise scooping, dumping, hauling, smoothing and repaving its way through Oconto Falls.
Since August, contractors have been replacing water mains, sanitary sewer and storm sewer on state Highway 22, then patching the streets with asphalt. The last leg of the utility work, through the heart of the downtown business district, is scheduled to be completed by the second week of December.
“It’s quite a project,” said John Salscheider, of the Antique Bar, 126 N. Main St.
It’s a sentiment shared by many business and home owners inconvenienced by the construction.
It’s far from over.
Work will continue next spring when the streets, sidewalks and curbs are redone. Construction is scheduled to end in fall 2015 for the $8 million project.
“I will be glad when it’s all over,” Daniels said.
As the three-phase construction project moved through the city, streets have been closed or reduced to one lane. The boundaries of the project are West Highland Drive to East Highland Drive.
“Access has been a little bit tough,” said Joanne Johnston, of Oconto Falls Insurance, 113 N. Main St. She said some customers prefer to handle business over the phone, rather than visit the office.
Salscheider said the Antique is lucky because it has a back parking lot and alleyway, which makes for easier access. Yet with Main Street torn up, traffic is down, and fewer people pop in for a cold one.
“I don’t think we have the flow,” he said. “The out-of-towners won’t take the challenge to come downtown because all they see is ‘Road Closed.’ ”
However, the end is in sight. Jossart Brothers Inc. is scheduled to have all sewer and water lines and laterals installed by the end of the day Wednesday, Nov. 26, according to Craig Schuh, the project engineer/manager from Ayres Associates. Street and sidewalk restoration is scheduled for the first week of December, with the final wrap-up and removal of equipment the following week.
Jossart Brothers will also provide what Schuh called “corrective action” for rough patches on the streets, to smooth the surface for snow plows.
The project was off to a slow start this summer when groundwater on Chestnut Avenue delayed progress, Schuh said. Then in November came the cold weather. Normal temperatures are in the 40s for this time of year, but as Schuh said, “We haven’t seen that for three weeks.”
“This weather’s been atypical. It’s been so cold for so long and has hindered their progress,” he said.
The closure of all but one asphalt plant in Northeast Wisconsin may require the use of concrete instead of asphalt for restoration, if the project extends into the first weeks of December and the last asphalt plant closes, Schuh said. While vehicles can drive on asphalt within hours of it being laid, the setting time for concrete is several days.
“We’re making every effort to complete the project,” Schuh said. These efforts include posting extra crews to the site and working Saturdays.
“The goal was to be done before winter hit, but winter has hit sooner than anyone expected,” he said.
Categories
