By Brandi Makuski

Demolition continues along Plover’s portion of Bus. 51 in preparation of next spring’s road-widening project.

Bus. 51, also known as Post Road, is one of three main traffic corridors for both Plover and Whiting and is currently owned by the Wisconsin Dept. of Transportation up to the Stevens Point city limits near Minnesota Avenue. Several buildings in close proximity to the roadway have already been purchased by the DOT and demolished.

According to DOT documents, construction of the new roadway is expected to begin in spring of 2016. Once it’s finalized, the Village of Plover will take ownership of the roadway, which will remain a two-lane in each direction but with added raised center medians, dedicated turn lanes, bike lanes in both directions and sidewalks on both sides of the road.

The project is expected to be complete in 2020 and has an estimated price tag of $42 million, a cost which includes purchasing real estate along the roadway.

After being purchased by the DOT, the former site of Springville Wharf, located on the corner of Springville Dr. and Post Rd., was razed over the course of two days last week. The former site of St. Vincent de Paul thrift store, which has since relocated, came down on Sept. 2.

Stevens Point already owns its portion of the Bus. 51, and last year changed plans for widening the corridor, instead focusing on building a new overpass on Country Club Dr. so motorists can forego long lines at a heavily-used train crossing there.

It was not immediately clear how Plover’s new roadway and existing corridor in Stevens Point would align.