Major repairs slated to hit Whiting area in coming weeks
By Taylor J. Hale
Reporter
WHITING – Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) representatives held a public hearing on Mar. 27 to discuss future road repairs in Whiting and the surrounding areas.
Post Road, Business 51, County Road HH and other active sections of streets will see updates and fixes as other anti-flooding measures continue throughout the county.
“The tentative start date for main construction activities is April 8,” said DOT Project Development Engineer Korey Boehm in an exclusive interview with the Gazette. “However, mid next week, April 3, crews are hoping to begin shifting traffic and reducing Business 51 to one lane in each direction.”
Beginning steps
Beginning steps for the restorations include pavement removal, storm sewer installations and water system installations. Traffic will eventually condense to one lane on Business 51. Crew members will also reroute County Road HH when construction ramps up. Paving is expected to begin near mid-June. Open access routes to residential areas will be kept open throughout the paving process.
“Traffic on County HH between the Lower Whiting Park and School Avenue will also be reduced to one lane in each direction,” Boehm explained. “County HH traffic will be shifted to the existing westbound lanes. The roadway work starting is dependent on getting traffic shifted. Since moving traffic will require painting new pavement markings all these dates are dependent on the weather since the pavement needs to be dry and temperatures warm for the marking to adhere to the pavement.”
New storm sewer adjustment rings
New Cretex Pro Ring adjusting rings are replacing current concrete fittings that rest between the set inlet and manhole structures and inlet frames in the Whiting area. The new adjustment rings have a projected 50-year lifespan — the concrete fittings used now last roughly 10 to 15 years.
“Medford and Wausau are using them,” said Whiting Publics Work Director Nic Schmeiser. “This could be a product that helps us save money in the long run.”
The project has an estimated cost of $31,898. The Village of Whiting will utilize DOT funding for the installations. Village Officials approved the plans on Mar. 26.
Three drainage basins throughout Whiting were also of concern to area residents at the public hearing. Pushback from locals centered on public safety near the 20-foot deep trenches, intended to manage rainwaters and help replenish regional water systems.
“You think some kid on a BMX bike isn’t going to use that runway, then whose fault is it,” said a concerned resident at the hearing about the basins. “How can you justify a 20-foot deep hole when you can’t even put in a french drain.”
The basins are part of an overall stormwater management strategy, also including grit chambers and subsurface infiltration trenches. The project is geared to meet the DNR total suspended solids (TSS) goal of 40 percent. The initiative is intended to reduce solid waste from entering local waterways.
“The type and locations were selected by a group of Wisconsin DOT project managers, Wisconsin DOT consultant designers, officials from the villages of Plover and Whiting and by input from residents,” Boehm explained. “We did explore other alternatives, and they included grassy swales and median biofilters.”
Exact dates for scheduled repairs and installations may change due to weather, but plans are to complete all major updates by year’s end, according to DOT officials. Follow the Gazette for updates.
Contact Taylor J. Hale at [email protected] with Portage County news and information.