Area Chamber of Commerce
Road Construction Updates
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) and prime contractor Zignego Company are in the process of a reconstruction project, involving US Highway 14, in the city of Westby.
North Main Street (US 14) between High Echo Lane and Locust Street is planned to be reconstructed.
The approximately 1.6-mile project will replace the pavement structure, improve intersections, improve pedestrian accommodations, permit driveway and access connections, replace the storm sewer system, and update the street lighting.
The North Main Street and Main Street intersection (US 14-US 61-WIS 27) will be reconfigured into a roundabout as part of this project as well.
OCTOBER 24
We are getting closer to the end of our first of two construction seasons on this project. Mid to late next week the concrete pavement is scheduled to be placed from South Street to the south end of the project, followed by the section from Black River to the north through the roundabout. There will again be some significant delays during the concrete placement and flaggers will be on site to control traffic along the work area. Please be patient and consider using an alternate route during these times if you are able. Message boards will be up to assist you during these days.
Concrete for sidewalk, driveways and terraces areas will be poured over the next few weeks. Please do not attempt to cross, walk, drive, bike, etc. on any areas that have been freshly poured or have been coned/taped off. Damage to these areas will require replacement and will delay the opening of those sections of the project. Work is anticipated to continue into mid to late November/early December, weather permitting. Again, thank you for your patience and understanding during this project.
OCTOBER 9
The update is being sent a day early, due to the significant delays to traffic that may be incurred during work the rest of the week. The contractor is going to begin placing concrete pavement near Black River Street heading south tomorrow. During this time, only one lane of traffic will be able to travel through portions of downtown. USH 14 and sideroad intersections will be flagged. Some side streets will be closed during this time, as well. Delays may be significant and if you are able to use alternate routes, please consider doing so. Next week, some intersections will remain closed and additional concrete work will be continuing to tie in at side streets.
The South Street intersection should be rocked and re-opening by the end of the workday today. This will be your best access to the school during downtown concrete work, once reopened.
Removals have started from Park Street heading north. If you are accessing properties along the closed section of HWY 14 near the roundabout, please use extreme caution. During removals some crossings will be unavailable, and you may have to share side streets and alley access with more vehicles.
Another reminder that the concrete may need to be sawcut during overnight or early morning hours.
AUGUST 8
Again, I want to thank you for your patience during this stage of the project. I would also like to clarify that the information provided regarding the schedule that is provided to us by the contractor, is always pending weather and other unforeseen circumstances. We try to provide everyone with the most accurate information but in some instances, it changes day to day.
With that being said, curb & gutter is now tentatively scheduled to begin in the downtown area on Monday. This will be followed by sidewalk and driveway concrete over the next few weeks. Each of these concrete pours will require time to cure. Please be mindful of areas that are blocked off and avoid accessing these locations to allow for the concrete to set appropriately. WisDOT and the contractors understand that this is an inconvenience and truly appreciate your patience and understanding during these next few weeks. Enjoy your weekend!
AUGUST 1
We finally have some concrete down! Thank you for your patience as the paver made its way north on the westbound lanes this week. Access to the new pavement is still currently limited, but residents will soon be able to park near their homes on the new concrete. Next week curb & gutter will be placed in the downtown area. During this time, vehicles cannot be parked on the new pavement so the machine can place the curb right along the edge of the new pavement. Following the curb & gutter, sidewalks and driveways will be poured. These operations will take a couple weeks to complete.
Please note that new concrete requires a specific strength be achieved before vehicles can access it, which includes the curb & gutter, sidewalk, and driveways. Please be patient if you see areas blocked off with cones or caution tape. They are blocked off to protect both the work and your vehicle from damage during the initial concrete set up time. Pedestrians and bicyclists will also need to be mindful of fresh concrete and work efforts. There may be times where the contractor will need to safely direct you through the work zone, as they prepare for the traffic switch later this month.
Grading is also continuing on the north end of the project to build the next portion of the temporary lanes for work on the roundabout.
Thank you again for your continued patience and understanding as we work through Stage 2 of the project.
JUNE 20
The next few updates will be relatively uneventful. Work efforts are continuing like last week.
Storm sewer, water and sanitary installations will continue through the downtown area. This work will be followed by electrical installations, grading, and roadway base placement. There will continue to be impacts to cross street access during the next few weeks, so please utilize the adjacent street for access if the one you are looking to use is closed. The contractor will be repairing some temporary asphalt and filling potholes over the next few weeks, as well. These items may result in minor impacts to traffic during the work.
JUNE 6
Thank you for all your patience and understanding during the detour implementation this past week. We have heard your concerns and have been, and will continue to, monitor the traffic on both the detour and USH 14. We have identified a few locations where additional signs will be placed along the detour. It always takes a week or so to adjust to traffic pattern changes. We are hoping that things are moving smoother for everyone already.
Next week, removals will continue through downtown and storm sewer installations will begin in the downtown area. There will be intermittent intersection closures for storm sewer installations, so please remember to head to the next intersection if the one you are trying to utilize is closed. Once removals are completed, grading and roadway base placement will begin on the south end of the project, working north. The City will also be removing the lighting from the east side of the street through downtown if it has not already been completed.
May 23
We have big changes happening next week. Unfortunately, with all the rain, an extensive number of potholes have appeared on the existing pavement. The contractor, City and County have been working together to try to stay ahead of them. With that being said, the contractor will be installing an asphalt overlay along the southbound/eastbound lane from near WCCU to Coon Prairie Rd on Tuesday, after the detour is implemented. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we try to remedy this situation as quickly as we can. Patching will continue until the overlay is installed.
The northbound/westbound detour of USH 14 will be implemented sometime on Tuesday. This is the time when no parking will be allowed along USH 14 or on the detour route. The contractor will be begin removing existing pavement and sidewalk immediately after the overlay installation is complete, so we please ask that you do not park along either route started Tuesday morning at 7am.
Attached is an updated version of the detour map which now includes where pedestrian crossings will be located during the detour. Please note that traffic on State Street will be under a stop condition at Bekkedahl Ave during the detour. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is also going to be testing a pilot program for audible devices at some of the pedestrian crossings on the project. These devices will be motion activated and will verbally direct pedestrians along the correct route through the project.
Thank you again for your patience and understanding as we continue to progress through Stage 2.
MAY 16
I hope you are all preparing to enjoy Syttende Mai this weekend. Work is progressing on the project, as I am sure you have noticed. Currently, old concrete pavement and storm sewer are being removed. New storm sewer is being installed. There will be some impacts to traffic at the Coon Prairie and Black River intersections next week while we complete storm sewer crossings prior to beginning the detour. At some point next week, there may also be a water service interruption on the south end of the project. If your property will be impacted, you will receive a 48 hr notice prior to the service being temporarily shut off.
We are continuing to monitor the existing pavement on the traffic shift and will be patching these areas, as needed. The detour for the NB/WB traffic is still anticipated to be implemented after Memorial Day. Pavement markings will be installed on the detour route for one way traffic. A map is attached for your reference.
Again, once the detour is implemented, there will be no street parking on the detour or on USH 14. The streets need to be clear for the contractor to stage materials, equipment and work safely and efficiently.
We appreciate your understanding during all these traffic adjustments and staging changes.
MAY 9th
We have finally pushed into the start of Stage 2 on the project. Yesterday traffic was shifted onto the temporary widening areas for work to begin on the East side of USH 14 and along the South side of STH 27. This will take a little time to get used to. Please continue to drive slowly and watch for other vehicles, pedestrians, and construction workers.
During the next few weeks, existing pavement will be removed, storm sewer and other utilities will be installed from the south end of the project to Coon Prairie and from Black River to STH 27. New road base material will be placed, along with geogrid to better stabilize the road. The asphalt overlay that is going to be placed on the detour route will now be happening after the detour is complete. The intent is to provide a quality product back to the City after increasing the roadway usage during construction. We ask that you do not park within the construction zones. Heavy equipment will be moving throughout the closures and materials will be stored in these areas. There will not be adequate space to accommodate parked vehicles and construction traffic. There may be certain times when access to the properties along the work zone will be limited but should be restored by the end of each working day. Work may also begin on the old portion of STH 27 later in the week.
If you have received a mailbox removal notice, please contact the Postal Service to determine where to best place your mailbox for the time being. Mailbox relocations are the responsibility of the resident/homeowner. More of these notices may be delivered as we move into the downtown work in a few weeks.
Sometime after Memorial Day, the detour of NB traffic will be implemented, and work will begin in the downtown area. At that time, no parking will be available on the detour route or USH 14, and sidewalks will need to be cleared for removals. Future updates will provide estimated timelines and locations for work, we just want to remind everyone that these restrictions are coming. Sidewalk will be always maintained on one side of the street through downtown, except for minor impacts necessary to complete removals and reinstall access. Designated crossings will be clearly marked for access to businesses and residences on the opposite side of Main St during this time.
Work will be halted around noon on Friday, May 17th for Syttende Mai. Enjoy your weekend and thank you for your patience while we progress!
MAY 2ND
Yesterday, crews began paving the temporary widening on the north end of the project. Driveways in these areas will be temporarily replaced with asphalt pavement during this phase. Once all widening areas have been paved, traffic will be shifted to the west onto the new pavement for work to begin on the east side of USH 14, except for the downtown area. There may be minor flagging delays during this stage for storm sewer installations and we appreciate your patience during these times. Work will also continue at the STH 27 intersection. Construction will begin on the first stages of the roundabout and new frontage road. There may also be intermittent delays in those areas as work progresses. Bidirectional traffic will be maintained on USH 14 during this stage.
WisDOT and project staff have evaluated the detour plan and determined that it will now be overlaid after the utilization of the detour is complete. During the detour, traffic will still run one way in the center of the road and no parking will be allowed along either side of the route. This is anticipated to be implemented after Memorial Day. The overlay of Coon Prairie and Bekkedhal will now happen sometime after August 30, 2024.
Feel free to reach out with any questions.