Plover Roundabout Expected to be Complete in September
By Brandi Makuski
Construction on a new roundabout in south Plover is expected to begin in early May.
Dan Holloway, a project manager for the Wisconsin Dept. of Transportation, said the $2 million project will replace the semi-controlled intersection at Highway 54 and Maple Drive with a single-lane roundabout.
Last year the village approved the roundabout following a series of public input meetings to address safety concerns at the intersection. Nearby roadways will need to be refitted for motorists who are rerouted during the project, Holloway said.
“The project will actually start at those ramps on the [Highway] B interchange- the off-ramps, both southbound and northbound- building auxiliary turn lanes and temporary signals,” Holloway said.
He said work on the off-ramps will be conducted during overnight hours for two or three weeks.
Construction on the roundabout itself will begin about 400 feet south of Highway B and include new sewer and water. From an outsider’s perspective, he said, progress may seem slow at first because of the ground de-watering process, which is necessary prior to installing new underground infrastructure.
“We’re basically starting from the bottom up,” Holloway added.
Project Engineer Mike Dombeck said once the off-ramps have been reconstructed, an entire stretch of Highway 54 will be closed off for the remainder of the project, with east and westbound motorists being rerouted via detour signs.
Accommodations are being made for temporary access and signage for businesses in the area, he added.
The end result will reduce the two-lane Highway 54 to a single-lane road shortly before entrances to the roundabout. The completed roadway will be comprised of an asphalt pavement surface.
The project was contracted to A-1 Excavating of Bloomer, Wis. Project Manager Charlie Storing said the expected completion date is September 4.