MONROE - Spring in Wisconsin is a busy time for road maintenance as workers herald the beginning of construction season with plans to sealcoat streets and pave blacktop.
One serious issue is potholes. Monroe's Director of Public Works Al Gerber said those are filled as weather permits throughout the year. The city budgeted a total of $370,000 for materials to repair Monroe streets this year. Gerber said last year the city spent $50,000 solely to patch potholes, and in 2014 it spent $70,000.
Potholes are caused by water seeping into the pavement through cracks. It collects to soften the road base. When temperatures drop the water freezes. Frozen water expands and forces the pavement upward, with traffic creating more stress on the roadway. Then, after the sun has caused the water to evaporate, there is a gap between the pavement and the ground where the base used to be. Without a base, the pavement collapses under the weight of traffic, causing a pothole to form. As more traffic continues to use the damaged area, the pothole expands. These divots in the road can damage vehicles and produce a safety hazard for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Gerber said Monroe has an average amount of potholes per year. Fixes take place on a yearlong basis. However, most patches of potholes take place in the spring and fall. Potholes are filled as mild winter weather allows, and in the summer months wear and tear is addressed with a different material to accommodate for the climate. Gerber added there is no way to gauge an exact number of potholes filled throughout the year, but Monroe does generally use 62 tons of cold-mix patch material annually. The total of patches needed per year can vary greatly, depending on the type of moisture and the point at which frost in the ground thaws.
The city has scheduled roadwork for the coming months. Paving and curb repair, which generally lasts three to five days, and sealcoating, which requires two days. In April and May, road patches and curb repair will be carried out, followed by sealcoating 3.6 miles of streets from mid-June to mid-August. Gerber said paving projects will last through the summer, with some repaving at three inches while others will be two. Crews will be looking to the weather forecast to decide when to begin certain projects depending on the length of time they're expected to complete them. Two projects will be handled by other crews contracted through the city due to the need for different equipment. The contracted work should take place from August through September.
Paving projects
• North 20th Avenue, from 1st Street to Edgeview Drive
• 19th Avenue, from 41â"2 Street to 6th Street
• 27th Avenue, from 5th Street to 6th Street
• 19th Avenue, from 11th Street to 12th Street
• 10th Street, from 17th Avenue to 20th Avenue
• Byers Circuit
• 13th Street, from 17th Avenue to Byers Circuit
• 17th Avenue, from 13th Street to 16th Street
• 20th Avenue, from 16th Street to 18th Street
• 21st Avenue, from 16th Street to 18th Street
• 18th Street, from 20th Avenue to 21st Avenue
• 9th Avenue, from 9th Street to 8th Street
• 6th Street, from 30th Avenue to Wisconsin 59 bridge
Contracted repaving
• 21st Street, from 7th Avenue to 4th Avenue West
• 11th Street, from Wisconsin 69 to 13th Avenue
Sealcoat projects
• 6th Avenue West, from West 7th Street to West 2nd Street
• West 2nd Street, from 6th Avenue West to County N
• Lincoln Road
• 26th Street, from Wis. 69 to court end
• 2nd Avenue, from 30th Street to north end
• 6th Avenue, from 22nd Street to court end
• 30th Street, from Wis. 69 to 6th Avenue
• 5th Avenue, from 22nd Street to 26th Street
• 22nd Street, from 5th Avenue to 6th Avenue
• West 7th Street, from 4th Avenue West to 1st Avenue
• 7th Street, from 1st Avenue to circle end
• 71â"2 Street, from 1st Avenue to 8th Street
• 3rd Street, from 3rd Avenue to 4th Avenue
• 4th Street, from 3rd Avenue to 4th Avenue
• 5th Street, from 3rd Avenue to 4th Avenue
• West 8th Street, from 6th Avenue West to 10th Avenue West
• West 21st Street, from Bethel Road to 4th Avenue West
• 6th Street, from 7th Avenue to 10th Avenue
• 11th Avenue, from 5th Street to 2nd Street
• 19th Avenue, from 6th Street to 11th Street
One serious issue is potholes. Monroe's Director of Public Works Al Gerber said those are filled as weather permits throughout the year. The city budgeted a total of $370,000 for materials to repair Monroe streets this year. Gerber said last year the city spent $50,000 solely to patch potholes, and in 2014 it spent $70,000.
Potholes are caused by water seeping into the pavement through cracks. It collects to soften the road base. When temperatures drop the water freezes. Frozen water expands and forces the pavement upward, with traffic creating more stress on the roadway. Then, after the sun has caused the water to evaporate, there is a gap between the pavement and the ground where the base used to be. Without a base, the pavement collapses under the weight of traffic, causing a pothole to form. As more traffic continues to use the damaged area, the pothole expands. These divots in the road can damage vehicles and produce a safety hazard for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Gerber said Monroe has an average amount of potholes per year. Fixes take place on a yearlong basis. However, most patches of potholes take place in the spring and fall. Potholes are filled as mild winter weather allows, and in the summer months wear and tear is addressed with a different material to accommodate for the climate. Gerber added there is no way to gauge an exact number of potholes filled throughout the year, but Monroe does generally use 62 tons of cold-mix patch material annually. The total of patches needed per year can vary greatly, depending on the type of moisture and the point at which frost in the ground thaws.
The city has scheduled roadwork for the coming months. Paving and curb repair, which generally lasts three to five days, and sealcoating, which requires two days. In April and May, road patches and curb repair will be carried out, followed by sealcoating 3.6 miles of streets from mid-June to mid-August. Gerber said paving projects will last through the summer, with some repaving at three inches while others will be two. Crews will be looking to the weather forecast to decide when to begin certain projects depending on the length of time they're expected to complete them. Two projects will be handled by other crews contracted through the city due to the need for different equipment. The contracted work should take place from August through September.
Paving projects
• North 20th Avenue, from 1st Street to Edgeview Drive
• 19th Avenue, from 41â"2 Street to 6th Street
• 27th Avenue, from 5th Street to 6th Street
• 19th Avenue, from 11th Street to 12th Street
• 10th Street, from 17th Avenue to 20th Avenue
• Byers Circuit
• 13th Street, from 17th Avenue to Byers Circuit
• 17th Avenue, from 13th Street to 16th Street
• 20th Avenue, from 16th Street to 18th Street
• 21st Avenue, from 16th Street to 18th Street
• 18th Street, from 20th Avenue to 21st Avenue
• 9th Avenue, from 9th Street to 8th Street
• 6th Street, from 30th Avenue to Wisconsin 59 bridge
Contracted repaving
• 21st Street, from 7th Avenue to 4th Avenue West
• 11th Street, from Wisconsin 69 to 13th Avenue
Sealcoat projects
• 6th Avenue West, from West 7th Street to West 2nd Street
• West 2nd Street, from 6th Avenue West to County N
• Lincoln Road
• 26th Street, from Wis. 69 to court end
• 2nd Avenue, from 30th Street to north end
• 6th Avenue, from 22nd Street to court end
• 30th Street, from Wis. 69 to 6th Avenue
• 5th Avenue, from 22nd Street to 26th Street
• 22nd Street, from 5th Avenue to 6th Avenue
• West 7th Street, from 4th Avenue West to 1st Avenue
• 7th Street, from 1st Avenue to circle end
• 71â"2 Street, from 1st Avenue to 8th Street
• 3rd Street, from 3rd Avenue to 4th Avenue
• 4th Street, from 3rd Avenue to 4th Avenue
• 5th Street, from 3rd Avenue to 4th Avenue
• West 8th Street, from 6th Avenue West to 10th Avenue West
• West 21st Street, from Bethel Road to 4th Avenue West
• 6th Street, from 7th Avenue to 10th Avenue
• 11th Avenue, from 5th Street to 2nd Street
• 19th Avenue, from 6th Street to 11th Street