11/07/2019- 2019 is the wettest year on record for the area and the excessive amount of water is pushing back the completion date on some Marinette County roadwork. The Wisconsin DOT and the County Highway Department have been working with project contractor, Northeast Asphalt, to complete the reconstruction of County Highway G in 2019, but that work has met some significant delays. Highway Commissioner Eric Burmeister says 14 inches of rain fell in September alone and all that water, coupled with a sudden drop in temperatures and an unplanned 4-day closure of the asphalt plant in Pound means the project now likely won’t wrap up until the 2020 construction season. The state is funding most of the project and there was some hope the work could be finished week, but Burmeister is concerned that rushing the project could leave the county holding the bill if the end result is a damaged road.
“I’m not comfortable waiving the density testing on the asphalt, I’m not comfortable waiving the 36-degree temperature for laying the asphalt. Should we waive some of those requirements within the contract and something goes badly over the winter, we’re stuck fixing it or we’re stuck with the problem.”
A temporary road surface and center line striping will be applied so the detour around the project site can be lifted for the winter months. Northeast Asphalt has also agreed to freeze asphalt prices at their current level until the road is complete. The project will pick up again in the spring and the reconstruction of County G is now expected to be done by the end of May.