With parts of Highway 164 gone, find another way to get there

By Patricia Bogumil

Editor

A complete closure in the marsh area of Highway 164 between East River Bay and Beach roads began Aug. 19.

Barricades are tight along the entire roadway. Traci Gengler, the DOT project manager, asks that people be aware they need to find alternate routes to get where they’re going, rather than try to head north up Highway 164 from Waterford.

“Emergency vehicles will need to find an alternate route as well,” she advised via email – a situation of which local officials have been advised.

Gengler warns that road barricades must not be moved. “We’ve been having an issue on this project,” she said. “When workers leave at night, they put the barricades back on the road only to find them moved when they return in the morning.”

Previously discussed plans to have crews begin working 24/7 are not currently in place, but might be implemented due to the project’s tight construction timeline.

“We’ll see what their production rate is and make a determination about whether to add a night crew to keep the project on schedule,” Gengler added.

She said that so far contractors have been doing an excellent job working Saturdays and working longer hours to stay on schedule despite multiple rain days when they couldn’t work.

Asphalt pavement has been completed along Highway 164 from County Line to Beach. “However, that does not mean we’re done working in the area. They’ve been shouldering and completing driveways. We still need to install signs, pavement marking, guard rail, and finish landscaping.

“Slow down and watch for workers!” she added.

The entire Highway 164 roadway (from I-43 to Highway 36) will remain closed and detoured until November when the projects are scheduled to be complete, Gengler said.

Although a truck detour is signed on Highway 83, she noted, local residents may know of shorter alternative routes to avoid construction.

Other projects to the north

• A new culvert near Maney’s Golf Range is complete and the roadway is now passable to local traffic only. A few miscellaneous items remain such as landscaping.

• In Big Bend, workers continue to pave concrete including curb and gutter, sidewalk, and driveway aprons between County L and Edgewood roads. Other village projects are also in progress, such as on Edgewood Avenue, Mulberry.

Motorists must use alternate routes to allow the crews to complete their work as quickly as possible.

A full closure in that area is scheduled to run from 6 a.m., Tuesday, Aug. 27 to 6 a.m., Thursday, Aug. 29 to install culverts south of County L/Janesville roads in Big Bend.

The Highway 164 project’s local field office phone number is (262) 895-2292. The office is located in the Tichigan Lions Club parking lot off Beach Drive in Tichigan.