Ready, set, go: Work on Messer project to begin March 31

It’s almost go-time for the City of Rhinelander’s next major street and utility project.

City officials and representatives from Town & Country Engineering, the outside firm that oversees the city’s major public works projects, held an informational meeting last Wednesday evening, March 12, to outline the schedule for the $8.5 million Messer Street area project.

Weather-permitting, the contractor plans to start work March 31, according to project manager  Mark Barden of Town & Country.

The project involves a total of 16 blocks in the Hodag Park neighborhood and will start on Rose Street, Barden explained. June 13 is the scheduled completion date for that first work area, he said.

From May 13 to July 3, the focus will be on the second work area which consists of Messer Street (north of Rose) to Hodag Park Drive and includes all of Hodag Park Drive and Fremont Street.

Finally, from July 7 to Oct. 31, attention will shift to the third work area which includes Lake Shore, Evergreen, Pearl and Doyle.

Motorists can expect detours and there will be times when residents will be unable to park in their driveways, Barden added. 

The Hodag Park boat landing will be accessible throughout the project, however the annual Fourth of July fireworks will be set off from West Side Park to avoid congestion while work is underway near Hodag Park.

Barden also noted that a competitive bidding process benefited the city in that the total cost of the project is now expected to be about $90,000 lower than originally anticipated.

The project, which includes repairs and updates to sanitary sewer mains, manholes, laterals,streets and storm sewers, was unveiled in June 2024.

Initially, residents of the Hodag Park neighborhood expressed concerns, particularly related to proposed new sidewalks and the potential loss of trees. By fall, a compromise was reached wherein the city agreed to omit some of the planned sidewalks from the final plan.

During the March 12 meeting, Barden said tree removal should begin in mid-April. 

Trees located within the city’s right-of-way will be removed, if they are damaged as part of the underground utility work. However, property owners will have the option to save trees located on their private property. According to Barden, city forester Tom Jerow will assess trees located on private property and provide an opinion as to whether the plant has a chance of survival. Property owners will then be asked to choose whether they want to save the tree or have it removed. However, if a tree a property owner chooses to keep dies within the next year or two, it will be the responsibility of that property owner to remove it, Barden explained.

Residents with questions about the project are asked to contact Barden or project engineer Max Tibbett at (715) 420-0579 rather than the city administrator.