Blue Ribbon Committee- Lincoln Avenue Street Project Update
March 13, 2007
Submitted by Linda Parrish 608-822-3599
During the week of March 12 phase one activities will include installation of detour signs on County Highways E and F and painting of lines on detour roadway. In Fennimore survey work will be taking place all week. A-1 Excavating, Inc will continue to move in heavy equipment, they plan to bring in two crews to begin the road construction. Fennimore utilities will reroute electric service in preparation for phase 2 of the project which begins the week of March 19. City utility workers will take down electric lines, power poles and street lights from south city boundaries to 12th Street for safer access for the construction process.
Also this week the Fennimore Meal Site will be relocated (from the former VFW building) during phase two of the project. Starting Thursday, March 15 the meal site will begin serving at Sun Set Fields which is located at 925 Eisenhower Street, just northwest of the Fennimore Good Samaritan Center. The location will be the only change for the meal site. Reservations are still required by 2 p.m. one day in advance; please call Sue Fleming at 822-6867 or 822-6659. Sue is available at the meal site Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Detour signs for the Lincoln Avenue project will go up Monday, March 19 at 7 a.m. at which time phase two of the 2007 Lincoln Avenue street project will officially begin. Road construction begins from Hwy 61 south just north of the Jehovah Witness property and will run to the junctions of Hwy 61 and 12th Street; there will be no through traffic during this phase of construction which is expected to run through June. Those traveling to Fennimore Motors and Jehovah Witness property are accessible from Hwy 61 South; all other traffic must take the detour route. There is no through traffic from the north to either of these properties. Carr Valley Cheese, Casey's, SW Wisconsin Childcare Resource and Referral, Sunkissed TNT (Reynold's), and Dr. Don McKenzie, OD office will need to be accessed from side streets.
Once again, keep in mind the official detour begins at 7 a.m. March 19 and will detour U S Hwy 61 traffic through Stitzer on Cty E and F back to Hwy 18 where traffic will be detoured back to Lincoln Avenue. Hwy 61 traffic coming from the north will take the detour at the junctions of 12th and Lincoln Avenue. During this phase of the road project Fennimore's main business district will remain open from 12th to 4th Street; however, a few parking places near intersections will be eliminated. U. S. Hwy 18 traffic is not affected during stage two of the construction process; Hwy 18 will be open as usual through the end of June.
In conjunction with the south Lincoln Avenue street project work will also begin on 16th Street to replace and upgrade storm sewer, catch basins along with installing 360 ft of 24 inch main south of Hwy 61/16th Street. This will affect 16th Street west to Foxmoor Waterway, Foxmoor Drive will be open to traffic.
Following last week's community information meeting I had the opportunity to talk with workers from A-1 Construction and the WiDOT. The best way for all of us to get through the construction process in a timely matter is to work together. The construction company will do their best to keep access open for residents; it is important that all other traffic stay out of the construction area. I have received several phone calls from business owners who missed the March 5 public information meeting. There will be public construction meetings held every two weeks starting April 2. The meetings will be held at the Fennimore Memorial building starting at 2 p.m. This time may need to be adjusted to meet the needs of the majority of the public.
The WiDOT is currently operating their construction office from 1030 Lincoln Avenue, the former Canterbury Garden location. The telephone number for the construction office is 608-822-3992.
Updated information is available here with answers to the most frequently asked questions from the March 5 public meeting.
