YOUR INFORMATION SOURCE FOR THE ST. CROIX RIVER VALLEY

ROAD REPORT

November 16, 1999

HIGHWAY 35: Crews have started the scrapers up for stage 2 of the Hwy. 35 project, according to DOT Engineer Paul Conlin, project supervisor. They will be grading the remaining 3 1/2 miles on the north end of the new section. "We hope to have it shaped up by winter," Conlin said.

The big paver can produce concrete as wide as 50 feet and was last used in Hudson in the early '90s to pave the four-lane interstate from the bridge to River Falls exit.
Photo by Margaret Ontl

WARNING: Construction equipment will be operating next to the traffic lanes. Watch for signs and flaggers!

Because grading operations are continuing so late into the fall, there will be no opportunity to seed the raw earth. Conlin said many measures are being taken to protect the Kinnickinnic watershed from silt-laden runoff. Spray-on soil stabilizers will be used which bond soil particles causing them to settle out rather than be carried away by rainwater and snow melt. Sediment basins, silt fences, concrete ditch checks, and hay bales will all be used to slow water flow and allow sediment to settle.

Conlin said he has met with Wisconsin DNR representatives to make sure highway crews are doing all they can to control erosion. Timberline Construction, the company doing the landscaping on the project, will continue a 24-hour emergency response policy to keep on top of any problems that crop up over the winter.

Additionally, a box culvert just south of Radio Road will help slow down rain and snow melt runoff. Two others will be installed along the new highway as weather permits.

Epoxy coated steel dowel bars are inserted into the wet concrete every 18 feet. These bars hold the pavement together after it is top cut.
Photo by Margaret Ontl

November 11, 1999

HIGHWAY 12: Traffic will be switching to the new lanes today. Only one lane northbound and one lane southbound will be open initially, according to Project Engineer Bob Anderson. WARNING: Watch for flaggers as the switchover is completed. All four lanes will be open tomorrow, but motorists should expect occasional lane closings due to traffic control light installation and work on the medians.

I-94: The Interstate is back to normal for the winter, Anderson said.

The projects will shut down for the winter by December 1. Although traffic on I-94 will not be affected until mid-April, Anderson says we should see some activity again there by mid-March, unless the weather is very mild. If the weather is really rotten, it may be later.

In that case, "You might not see us there until May," Anderson said.

Highway 35 project details

HWY 35 construction overview This is an interactive map. Clicking on any intersection along Hwy. 35 will take you to a close-up of that section which shows both the existing and future intersection and a brief explanation of what will be happening there.

Radio Road
Chapman Drive
Glover Road
Coulee Road
Valley View Road
Tower Road
High Ridge Road
Stage Line Road

HWY 35 intersecting Radio/Chapman Road

RADIO ROAD/CHAPMAN DRIVE:

These two intersections will be combined into one. The Radio Road/Chapman Drive crossroad will be reconstructed to form a right-angle intersection. As it approaches Hwy. 35 on both the east and west sides, it will curve to the south.

The existing intersection of Chapman Drive with Hwy. 35 will be closed. Old Chapman Drive north of Radio Rd. will become a dead end. The unused parts of both Radio and Chapman will be torn out.
HWY 35 intersecting Glover Road

GLOVER ROAD:

As is nears the intersection with Glover Road, new Hwy. 35 will swing to the west a short distance. Because the intersection will be built to form a right-angle, Glover Road will loop just a few feet south as it joins Hwy. 35 on the west side.

The homes just north of the Troy Town Hall will be on a dead end street which will access Glover Road at the intersection with old Hwy. 35. About 1/4 mile of old Hwy. 35 just south of the town hall will be torn out.

COULEE ROAD:

The Coulee Road intersection will be reconstructed to form a right-angle crossroad. On the east side of Hwy. 35, Coulee will loop sharply to the north before joining the highway. The curve on the west side will be much shorter and less pronounced.

HWY 35 intersecting Valley View Road

VALLEY VIEW ROAD:

There will be no connection between Valley View Road and the new Hwy. 35. Valley View will be a cul-de-sac ending just before it reaches new Hwy. 35 from the west. The existing section of Valley View between new and old Hwy. 35 will be torn up.

Even really big tires wear out eventually. Lenny Schnacky, from Brad Ragan Inc. in Eagan, Minn., said it takes two to three hours to complete the tire change. The process includes removing this good tire, using it to replace a worn-out one on the back of the scraper, and putting the new tire on the front. Schnacky said these $6,000 tires can last up to ten years, depending on the use, but Supervising Engineer Paul Conlin said he has seen a machine blow several on one project if the terrain is rocky or the job involves concrete and wire demolition.

Photo by Margaret Ontl

TOWER ROAD:

No longer connecting with Hwy. 35, it will cross on a raised overpass. Connection with I-94 will be through the High Ridge Road intersection.

HIGH RIDGE ROAD:

This will be a through street, continuing west and intersecting with new Hwy. 35 at a regular at-grade crossroad with turning lanes.

HWY 35 intersecting Stage Line Road/I-94

STAGELINE ROAD:

Access to I-94 from Stageline will be at the Carmichael Road interchange to the west and the newly constructed Hwy. 12 interchange to the east. Stageline Road will not intersect with new Hwy. 35, but will cross over on a raised overpass.

In addition to changes at the intersections, there will be other modifications to access points along Hwy. 35:

South of Glover Road about 1 mile, the new 4-lane will swing to the east, leaving old Hwy. 35 entirely. That section of old Hwy. 35 will become a short service road, with 2 entrances, serving those 5 farms and homes on the west side of the road.

Stageline Road will be rerouted over the newly aligned Highway 35 via this bridge.
Photo by Margaret Ontl

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©1999 Western Wisconsin Publishing, Inc.
Special thanks to WisDOT for providing the construction plans.