Concrete poured for bridge ramp area

BY KEVIN BONESKE

REPORTER/PHOTOGRAPHER

A motor vehicle crossing over the Wisconsin River in Rhinelander, the Davenport Street Bridge, which closed last month as part of the downtown Streetscape construction, could be reopening Friday, city public works director Tim Kingman reported at Monday’s Water/Wastewater Committee meeting.

“I’m the optimist in the crowd for June 9,” Kingman said. “It appears very feasible (at the) end of the week we could get that bridge open.”

Kingman noted construction workers were able to complete a lot of the paving work for the bridge, which has been closed to motor vehicles since May 8.

“Now the difficulty is for us to wait for the concrete to harden up well enough where we can finish up Davenport Street…,” he said. “The ramps are in, the concrete’s poured, it’s hardening.”

Kingman also thanked the downtown businesses for having “carried the torch and weathered the difficult construction.”

Barricades returned to the downtown area for the second of two years of work for the Streetscape project. Work on the Davenport Street Bridge started three week later than originally scheduled when wintry weather lingered on in April.

This year’s work is being done in three phases with the first phase of the project that included Brown Street between Frederick and Davenport Street, along with Davenport Street east of the bridge to Stevens Street and portions of Courtney and Anderson Street having wrapped up.

The second phase of the project now underway involves South Brown and portions of North Anderson and West King Street, while the third and final phase will include Stevens and Rives Street.

Kingman has noted not as much disruption to traffic is expected in the downtown area with this year’s work, compared to last year’s construction when several roadways were dug up, with the final paving and striping taking place to finish the affected streets.

Rhinelander’s Streetscape project began in March of last year and wrapped up for 2016 in November. Numerous street closures occurred downtown last year when work took place separating the combined sanitary and storm water sewers and upgrading both systems along with putting down new pavement. The project has also involved increasing the width of sidewalks, installing decorative lighting, planting trees and other beautification projects.

This year’s construction schedule is posted on the www.rhinelandercityhall.org website. Despite the weather delays, Kingman is hoping for the entire project to be completed by July 4.