They didn’t even bother to sugarcoat their message.
Two engineers involved in a road construction project in Oconto Falls faced a crowd of about 75 people and admitted the two-year project in the heart of the city will be unpleasant.
“This is going to be pain for all of you. This is construction. There’s going to be dust. There’s going to be access issues,” said Michael Liebman, of Ayres Associates, at a public information meeting about the state Highway 22 project June 10 at City Hall.
Then he softened his approach, reassuring those who live or work on the project’s path.
“We’re going to do our best to make sure that that pain is minimized for you. It’s not anything anyone wants in front of their house, in front of their businesses … but it is needed and it has to be done,” he said.
“We can say sorry until we’re blue in the face, but it’s got to happen or you’ll have more issues down the road,” said Craig Schuh, of Ayres Associates.
Replacement of water lines, storm sewers and sanitary sewer is scheduled to start in July and end in November. Spring, summer and fall of 2015 will be devoted to street reconstruction by the state Department of Transportation.
The boundaries of the $8 million project are West Highland Drive to East Highland Drive. Roadwork will take place on Main Street, through the three-block area of the downtown where businesses are located, and circle around Union Avenue to Chestnut Avenue, before ending at the intersection at East Highland Drive. The project calls for new pavement, storm sewers, curb and gutter and sidewalks.
The city’s share of the project is estimated at $328,500 to $335,500.
The utility project will be completed in three stages. As the work takes place, streets in the area will be partially closed. The traffic passing through Oconto Falls on Highway 22 will be detoured onto Highland Drive, but traffic in the construction zone will see barricades and signs stating “Local Traffic Only.”
Limited access is a concern for Dr. Joshua Dietze. He will face twice the inconvenience because his home and his business, a chiropractic clinic on Chestnut Avenue, are on the construction route.
“My biggest concern is patients being able to get access to me,” he said. “We’ll see how this plays out and how people can navigate through town.”
Main Street business owners were especially eager to learn about possible road closures. Mike Shomin, owner of the Coachlight Inn on Main Street, was concerned about a potential loss of hotel guests.
“It’s always worrisome as far as the business aspect and how you deal with it, but it will be nice to have a new road,” he said.
Liebman said property owners on the route can expect block-by-block closures as street work takes place. The sanitary sewer is located in the middle of the roadway on Main Street, water is along the north side of the street, and laterals are all over the corridor, which will make traveling through the construction area difficult. Customers can park on side streets to get close to the businesses, he said.
Road closures allow construction crews to complete the work more quickly, Schuh said.
“When we sat down with city officials and staff from the city, it was a balancing act,” he said. “How long do you want this to occur versus how many inconveniences can the business and property owners handle?”
The project will replace water main and sanitary sewer, updating lines that are near the end of their life. New storm sewers will improve drainage capacity for areas that are prone to flooding. Streets will be patched with asphalt after the utility work is completed and will be dug up again in 2015 when the streets are redone.
The weather will affect the pace of the project, but street work can take place between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. weekdays, with access to driveways required after 7 p.m. Property owners will be notified of interruptions in water service 24 hours in advance.
Liebman said special accommodations may be needed for Sept. 25-28 when the Oconto Falls High School homecoming and Falls Fun Fest will be celebrated. Traditional events are citywide rummage sales, a homecoming parade, a chili cook-off and a youth football tournament at Memorial Field. A running race is also being planned.
The Oconto Falls Street Department has started to cut down trees bordering Memorial Field to accommodate the construction project.
According to Oconto Falls Street Superintendent Terry Magnin, the Street Department will cut down about 20 trees in the city right-of-way of the project boundaries. The wood will be hauled to a landfill, and city officials have not decided if it will be available to the owners of the property where the trees were growing.
Liebman said replanting of trees is not planned now, but may happen later, depending on what city officials decide. He said the fence at Memorial Field will not be moved, and construction will not take the space used for pole vault and discus, as school officials had feared.
Those attending the meeting provided e-mail addresses in order to receive project updates.
Schuh reassured the audience that within 15 months, Oconto Falls will have a new street that will last for decades.
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