Next phase begins for County Hwy. B reconstruction

By Brandi Makuski

Phase two of the county’s County Hwy. B reconstruction project in Plover begins on May 16.

According to Highway Commissioner Nathan Check:

• Westbound County Hwy. B lanes from Hoover Ave. to I-39 will close, with eastbound lanes reduced to one lane.
• A detour via I-39 and Hwy. 54 54 is advised for westbound traffic from I-39.
• County Hwy. B west of Hoover Ave. will maintain one lane each way, and the Hoover Ave. intersection will remain open for access to local businesses and Maple Dr.

Phase three shuts down outside travel lanes during construction from late summer through fall, according to the timeline from design firm Gremmer & Associates. The Hoover Ave. intersection reconstruction should be finished before Celebrate Plover, held at the end of July.

The final phase should begin in late fall, reducing traffic to a single lane in both directions while inside lanes are rebuilt.

Check said the project was selected for funding through the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s Surface Transportation Program-Urban, which provides up to 80 percent state and federal funding for the design and construction. The project is expected to be completed in late November, he said.

Motorists should drive through the area slowly and plan for extra travel time, Check said.

The project involves rural-to-urban reconstruction of County Hwy. B from Wisconsin Ave. to Hoover Ave., and urban pavement replacement from Hoover Ave. to the I-39 ramps. It includes new pavement, a widened median, curb and gutter, sidewalks, a multi-use path, and a signalized intersection at Mecca Dr.

Funding, provided by the Wisconsin DOT’s Surface Transportation Program-Urban, supports 80 percent of the county’s design and construction costs.