Weeden Creek Road reopens after months-long $5.1 million reconstruction
Work on the 1.1-mile stretch of road has wrapped up
SHEBOYGAN — Weeden Creek Road on Sheboygan’s far south side has reopened after being closed since late April.
Barricades were taken down Wednesday evening and the road is officially open to motorists and bicyclists. The $5.1 million reconstruction project began last year with survey and preparation work. The project was funded in part with state funds.
Peters Concrete Company of Green Bay was awarded the contract, which has a price tag of $5,172,329. Improvements included new asphalt pavement, new street signs, a bike path incorporated into the road and a sidewalk. In preparation of road reconstruction, workers and contractors from Alliant Energy relocated power lines and poles to accommodate for road widening.
When asked why the company did not place the power lines underground, a spokesperson said cost along with safety, are major factors. “For this project, costs were projected to be about three times more expensive to move everything underground and we would have needed to maintain some of the equipment overhead,” said Cindy Tomlinson, spokesperson for Alliant Energy. “Staying with the current set-up was more cost-effective and we were able to re-use some equipment we had installed when the line was rebuilt in 2015.”
While Weeden Creek Road straddles the City of Sheboygan and Town of Wilson, it is considered a county highway. It is signed County Road EE. The speed limit remains unchanged at 35 MPH. The newly repaved roadway features bike lanes which prohibits parking. Wilson’s Town Board adopted an ordinance requiring property owners along the road to clear snow and ice from the sidewalks within 24 hours of each snow fall.
The City of Sheboygan is planning to install street lights along their portion of the road. There is no timeframe when installation will occur.
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