MONROE - Despite tighter budgets forcing fewer county road repairs this summer, work must go on.
Green County Highway Commissioner Dallas Cecil said winter maintenance costs have caused highway crews to cut back on summer projects.
"In a normal year we would pave 10 miles of road. This year we're going to pave four miles," Cecil said.
The county has a 20-year maintenance cycle for road repair. As the county faced higher costs to clear roads in the winter, that's changed, Cecil said. The repair cycle has been extended out due to tighter budgets.
"We do more (road) patching," Cecil said. "We just try to keep the roads up the best we can."
In April, Green County applied for more than $2 million to rehabilitate or construct six bridges and more than $2.5 million to repave roads in the county.
The six bridges are located on County E, north of Albany; County F, east of Brodhead; County K; in Cadiz township on Ullom Road; County D; and on Poplar Grove Road. All of the bridges were in the county's four-year bridge repair program. They would have been repaired in 2011 and 2012.
The road work from the stimulus would include County S to Wisconsin 69 with the exception of the section of road that goes through Juda.
According to Gov. Jim Doyle's office, more stimulus money will be awarded in May and June.
Regardless of whether the county gets money from the stimulus plan passed by Congress, summer projects are ready to begin.
There are three bridge repair projects planned for this summer, Cecil said. None of them have a specific start or end date, but all should begin after June. The projects include:
• Wisconsin 69 near Gutzmer Road. Cecil said the project will require a detour from County J, north to County C and then west to Wis. 69.
• County P east of County HK.
• Elmer Road in Brooklyn township.
This fall, highway crews plan to tear up and pave County G from County K to Wisconsin 11/81. Cecil expects the work to begin in August or September.
The total cost of the project is about $420,000, but the county hopes to get about $70,000 in state funds to help pay for some of the cost, Cecil said.
There are also several seal coat projects planned throughout the county.
County E from Brodhead to Wis. 92 in Brooklyn will be done this summer. The work, however, won't require any interference of traffic patterns. The work will be done under traffic, Cecil said.
Other large seal coat projects include County N from County C to County H, and County H from County A to the Lafayette County line. In addition, the county will also coat County B from Wis. 69 to County M; County KS from County K to County S; and County OK from Wis. 11/81 to County F. Finally, the county will seal coat three miles on County FF west of Wis. 59.
The seal coat work will take place in July and August.
In Lafayette County, highway workers plan to repair a bridge on County H in Jenkinsville. Lafayette County Highway Commissioner Tom Jean said the $650,000 cost of the project will be paid for with stimulus money from the federal government. The project is expected to begin in June.
Jean said he applied for stimulus money in March and learned a couple of weeks ago the project qualified for the federal stimulus money.
"The project was designed, and everything was ready to go," Jean said.
Jean said work is planned for ditches and culverts along County N from County G to County F in preparation of new black top for that section of road in 2010. The work will be done throughout the summer.
The state will pay for new black top on Wis. 23 from Wis. 81 to Wis. 11. The road will not be closed, but Jean said there will be some delays and in some places the road will be down to one lane. Work on the project was expected to begin Thursday.
Like Green County, Lafayette County pushed some projects back due to high winter maintenance costs, Jean said.
Drivers are reminded to slow down in work zones, Cecil said.
Green County Highway Commissioner Dallas Cecil said winter maintenance costs have caused highway crews to cut back on summer projects.
"In a normal year we would pave 10 miles of road. This year we're going to pave four miles," Cecil said.
The county has a 20-year maintenance cycle for road repair. As the county faced higher costs to clear roads in the winter, that's changed, Cecil said. The repair cycle has been extended out due to tighter budgets.
"We do more (road) patching," Cecil said. "We just try to keep the roads up the best we can."
In April, Green County applied for more than $2 million to rehabilitate or construct six bridges and more than $2.5 million to repave roads in the county.
The six bridges are located on County E, north of Albany; County F, east of Brodhead; County K; in Cadiz township on Ullom Road; County D; and on Poplar Grove Road. All of the bridges were in the county's four-year bridge repair program. They would have been repaired in 2011 and 2012.
The road work from the stimulus would include County S to Wisconsin 69 with the exception of the section of road that goes through Juda.
According to Gov. Jim Doyle's office, more stimulus money will be awarded in May and June.
Regardless of whether the county gets money from the stimulus plan passed by Congress, summer projects are ready to begin.
There are three bridge repair projects planned for this summer, Cecil said. None of them have a specific start or end date, but all should begin after June. The projects include:
• Wisconsin 69 near Gutzmer Road. Cecil said the project will require a detour from County J, north to County C and then west to Wis. 69.
• County P east of County HK.
• Elmer Road in Brooklyn township.
This fall, highway crews plan to tear up and pave County G from County K to Wisconsin 11/81. Cecil expects the work to begin in August or September.
The total cost of the project is about $420,000, but the county hopes to get about $70,000 in state funds to help pay for some of the cost, Cecil said.
There are also several seal coat projects planned throughout the county.
County E from Brodhead to Wis. 92 in Brooklyn will be done this summer. The work, however, won't require any interference of traffic patterns. The work will be done under traffic, Cecil said.
Other large seal coat projects include County N from County C to County H, and County H from County A to the Lafayette County line. In addition, the county will also coat County B from Wis. 69 to County M; County KS from County K to County S; and County OK from Wis. 11/81 to County F. Finally, the county will seal coat three miles on County FF west of Wis. 59.
The seal coat work will take place in July and August.
In Lafayette County, highway workers plan to repair a bridge on County H in Jenkinsville. Lafayette County Highway Commissioner Tom Jean said the $650,000 cost of the project will be paid for with stimulus money from the federal government. The project is expected to begin in June.
Jean said he applied for stimulus money in March and learned a couple of weeks ago the project qualified for the federal stimulus money.
"The project was designed, and everything was ready to go," Jean said.
Jean said work is planned for ditches and culverts along County N from County G to County F in preparation of new black top for that section of road in 2010. The work will be done throughout the summer.
The state will pay for new black top on Wis. 23 from Wis. 81 to Wis. 11. The road will not be closed, but Jean said there will be some delays and in some places the road will be down to one lane. Work on the project was expected to begin Thursday.
Like Green County, Lafayette County pushed some projects back due to high winter maintenance costs, Jean said.
Drivers are reminded to slow down in work zones, Cecil said.