Informational meeting held at City Hall

BY KEVIN BONESKE

REPORTER/PHOTOGRAPHER

Rhinelander’s Streetscape project is wrapping up for this year with the streets now open to traffic and the electrical work to be completed later this week.

City public works director Tim Kingman and project engineer Mark Barden of Town and Country Engineering provided an update on the Streetscape work at a public informational meeting Tuesday night at City Hall.

“All the decorate lighting will be complete by Thursday,” said Barden, who also noted the two intersections along Davenport Street at Brown and Stevens Street will have the traffic lights off of flashing red and fully operational by Thursday when work should be finished for the year.

Kingman, who noted 21 blocks underwent renovations downtown, said the city has documented the Streetscape work with several photos of the project.

“It really will be useful to all parties if we have concern about what’s left and it’s not right,” he said. “We can compare against what was in the past and be very clear in our future actions as we move along.”

Barden suggested property owners with concerns about damage and cleanup related to the Streetscape project fill out the forms that were available at the meeting or call him so that any damage could be fixed to the original state.

Given the concrete for the new sidewalks will be going through the first winter, Barden provided advice as to what to do and not do related to snow and ice removal to minimize damage to the concrete.

“(The contractor does) not recommend rock salt,” he said. “Ideally, sand is what would be used. There are some other products out there that are not as aggressive as salt that could be used on the concrete, but it may damage concrete….

“Anything that you use, any product that’s used on this concrete, should be removed immediately. Ideally what happens is property owners get out there, they remove all the snow and they don’t have to deal with the ice or snow. Per the contractor’s recommendation, I would also recommend, as soon as that starts melting and you’re able to remove that ice and snow, get out there and remove it.”

Kingman noted it will be the responsibility of the business owners downtown this winter to clear the snow from the sidewalks. He suggested getting the snow off the sidewalks and into the streets where it could be removed.

Once construction on the Streetscape project resumes next spring, Kingman said the final paving will be done to have the asphalt to the finished grade height, along with finishing up the street painting such as at the intersection of Brown and Davenport Street as well as installing items such as bike racks, street furniture, etc. He also noted decking work will be done next year on the Davenport Street Bridge.

Kingman said next year’s finishing deadline will be June 30 for final completion of the project.