Asphalt repairs on Fifth Street are lingering, but, for the most part, major street reconstruction in Shawano has wrapped up for the year and has come in within budget, according to the Department of Public Works.
“We’re very happy with the results,” Public Works Coordinator Eddie Sheppard said.
The Shawano Common Council in March awarded this year’s street and utility reconstruction projects to DeGroot Inc., of Green Bay, on a bid of $966,975.
Sheppard said there are still a few bills coming in, but the most recent calculation showed the projects coming in around $15,000 under budget. He said he expects the projects to be right along budget lines by the time all the bills are in.
“Everything went smoothly,” he said.
The city completed four major street reconstructions this year, but still needs to cover its asphalt from the controversial Fifth Street project that was delayed and not fully completed last year.
The project, which included adding a sidewalk between Fairview Way and Humphrey Court, drew the ire of Fifth Street residents. The sidewalk was originally intended for the south side of the street until it met opposition from businesses that would have been impacted.
The Shawano Field Committee eventually voted to move the sidewalk to the north side, but the reconstruction shifted the street seven feet to the south.
The controversy delayed the project until the fall, and weather delayed pouring the final layer of asphalt.
The under coating that was put down has suffered from winter weather and spring rain, with portions being washed out and potholes popping up.
The plan now is for a new first layer to be put down, followed by the finishing coat.
Sheppard said that should take five to seven days, and the hope is it will be completed by Aug. 1.
Major street and utility reconstruction projects this year included Bartlett Street, from Division to Eagle streets; Third Street, from Lafayette to Washington streets; Lafayette Street from Eagle to Picnic streets; and Franklin Street from Third to Fourth streets.
Another project — Hamlin Street, from Fifth to Schurz streets — was pulled out of the budget earlier this year for planning reasons, Sheppard said.
The DPW is already looking toward street reconstruction projects for 2015. Crews are out evaluating city streets and utilities to see which should be prioritized in the 2015 Capital Improvement Projects plan, which will be adopted along with the budget this fall.
Completion of major street reconstruction projects doesn’t mean the orange cones are gone for good, however.
There are still several smaller street pulverizing and relay projects to be done.
Those projects include Park Street, from Ridlington to Robin; Stevens Avenue, Lincoln to Union; Danks Street, Bartlett to Franklin; and Stevens Avenue, Bartlett to Lafayette.
Those projects shouldn’t cause the kind of disruption that major reconstruction projects cause, Sheppard said.
He said it will mostly mean some lane closures here and there for a couple of weeks at a time.
The DPW has just put those projects out for bid and the work is expected to be done in August and September. The city budgeted a total of $345,000 for the four projects.