No plans to repave South 18th Street
Those who use the street will have a rough experience for the foreseeable future
TOWN OF WILSON — Despite its obvious condition to drivers who use South 18th Street on the city’s far south side, there are no plans to repave the half mile stretch.
The Town of Wilson assesses roads once a year and rates these based on road conditions and volume of traffic according to Town Chairman Matthew Fore. “This rating scale is used to determine which roads are a priority,” said Fore. “Careful planning and budgeting are done to make repairs to high priority roads on a yearly basis.”
According to Fore, South 18th Street is not a priority at this time.
Portions of both South 18th Street and the northern stretch of Moenning Road from Weeden Creek Road to Stahl Road are owned by the City of Sheboygan and Town of Wilson. The Town of Wilson is responsible for the east side of the street or the northbound traffic lane between Marvery Road and Fisherman’s Creek. It is also responsible for the southbound section just south of the Dog Park. The remaining sections of roadway fall under the City of Sheboygan’s jurisdiction.
Town Clerk Shawna Hall could not locate records of when the last time the town's portion of South 18th Street was repaved. City Engineer Kevin Jump did not respond to WKTS News when asked about the city’s portion. As for Moenning Road, another nearby deteriorating road, the Town of Wilson last repaved their portion between Weeden Creek Road and Stahl Road in 2002 according to Hall. The stretch south of Stahl Road is maintained by the Sheboygan County Highway Department according to Ben Darkow, the town’s Public Works Director. The county has no immediate plans to repave Moenning Road according to Transportation Director Bryan Olson.
South 18th Street between Fox Hill Road and Washington Avenue in the City of Sheboygan was last reconstructed in 2012. The project costed $1.1 million and included eight inches of concrete and new curbs. The section between Washington Avenue and Mead Avenue was scheduled to be repaved this year but the city has decided to do spot concrete repairs instead.
South 18th Street is one of Sheboygan's most controversial streets.
In 1992, the city had plans to construct a bridge over Fisherman's Creek connecting the city to the Town of Wilson. Those plans were shelved until 1994. Residents complained the bridge would create a nightmare of heavy traffic. Although the bridge had been a part of the city’s Master Plan since 1962, it wasn’t built and opened to traffic until 1998.
South 18th Street between Fox Hill Road and Washington Avenue was originally constructed in 1979. According to city officials, the street was to last 40 years before being reconstructed. It lasted less than 30 years.
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