Welcome to the Minocqua Area - Nature's Original Water Park. We call it that because it's located in the middle of Northern Wisconsin's Lake Country. Here there are thousands of lakes, rivers and streams that literally saturate the geography. And vacationers have long been visiting the Minocqua Area to enjoy all this water by boating, swimming, fishing, snowmobiling and more. There's no admission fees and we're open year round!

US 51, Front Street to Old Hwy 70, Minocqua, May 22, 2013 (*updates in red*)

Roadway construction

•    Wisconsin Public Service continues utility relocation and is focused on installation of new street light pole bases.

•    Storm sewer crews plan to finish the storm sewer work at the Huber Lane/Lakeview Drive intersection this week. 

•    Grading crews continued to excavate US 51 to subgrade followed by the placement of 18 inches of gravel, primarily in the outside northbound and southbound lanes. They plan to complete grading and gravel placement in the outside lanes this week. They are also busy grading and placing gravel for the new sidewalks on both the east and west sides of US 51. Marsh excavation and a portion of the subgrade work for the new Huber Lane have been completed.

•    Concrete crews have nearly completed the new curb and gutter for Stage 1. Remaining curb and gutter work primarily includes filling in driveway gaps as well as side street work. That work is expected to be completed this week. Construction of the new sidewalks is expected to continue through June.

•    IMPORTANT: The public is asked to avoid the new sidewalks until they have sufficiently dried. The white curing compound from the new concrete will stick to anything that touches it. Drying times could take as much as a week or more. 

•    Crews will continue to communicate with the business owners regarding to access to their properties as the new sidewalk and curb and gutter is placed.

•    Retaining wall work at various locations along the project is expected to be completed by mid-June. The contractor also plans to start topsoil placement, final grading, and seeding behind areas of completed sidewalk during the week of May 27.

•    Electricians continued installation of underground conduit and pull boxes. They also installed the 14-foot deep concrete bases for the HAWK at US 51 and Lake View Drive. Electrical work is expected to be completed in June.

•    Asphalt paving of US 51, which will consist of a total of 6 inches of hot mix asphalt, will be constructed in 3 layers with the first two layers in both the outside northbound and southbound lanes scheduled for placement Friday, May 31 and Saturday, June 1, depending on favorable weather conditions. The contractor may also be paving some of the areas behind the new sidewalk beginning as early as Thursday, May 30. 

Traffic

•    The highway is reduced to one lane in each direction between Front Street and Island Cove Drive.  As work progresses, motorists should be aware that frequent shifting of open traffic lanes may be necessary to accommodate work operations.

•    Memorial Day holiday weekend: Although no construction work will take place from noon, Friday, May 24 to 6 a.m. Tuesday, May 28, traffic delays and backups are expected on US 51. In preparation for the expected heavier traffic, temporary gravel shoulders will be added to the two existing travel lanes through the project. The northbound and southbound outside gravel lanes will serve as routes for emergency vehicles only during the holiday weekend.  

•    Crews plan to maintain at least one lane of traffic in each direction for the majority of the project.  At times, traffic may be reduced to a single lane with flagging operations. 
•    Motorists may encounter delays and are reminded to use caution when traveling through the work zone.
•    All sidewalks within the project limits are closed and are signed as such.  Pedestrians and others that typically use these routes should consider other alternatives.
•    Lakeview Drive is permanently closed to vehicular traffic at US 51.  However, pedestrian access from the new sidewalk along US 51 to Lakeview Drive will be constructed as part of this project.
 

Next public meeting

•    The next construction information meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 6 at the Minocqua Town Hall at 7:30 a.m.
 

For more information, contact:

Kristin McHugh, WisDOT Region Communications Manager (715) 421-8380