Bridge replacements will result in closures and detours on Highway 18 in Summit
SUMMIT - U.S. Highway 18 will undergo another round of construction, this time in western Waukesha County, with an unusual fall and mid-winter/spring construction schedule closing the road completely in spots.
Wisconsin Department of Transportation officials announced the plans Monday for a project that will start immediately after Labor Day, take a winter holidays break, and then begin again into the first half of 2024. Most notable is that the work will involve the replacement of three bridges across the Bark River, making the road impassable at times.
It marks a continuing effort to rehabilitate Highway 18, which at one time was a major east-west federal highway route in the days prior to Interstate 94. Another road project further east, from Waukesha to Wales, is still in progress and will continue into October as the new project begins.
Here's what to know about the latest project:
Where is the work being done?
The project on Highway 18 spans 4.3 miles from County Road BB (North Golden Lake Road) to State Highway 67 (Summit Avenue), mostly in the village of Summit and just north of the village of Dousman. The three bridges are a little west of Gramling Lane, east of South Utica Road and west of Highway 67.
What are the dates involved in this unusual schedule?
Highway 18 will be closed to through traffic from Sept. 5 to late November and from mid-February to late June 2024, with the bridge projects spaced out somewhat.
The bridge replacement near Gramling Lane will come first and will make the road impassable until late fall. The other two bridges will be replaced during the 2024 phase of the project.
Weather and other factors could alter the timing of the bridge and road work, according to the DOT.
Other than the bridges, what does the project involve?
In the 2024 phase, the project will include pavement resurfacing, both in terms of asphalt surface patching and the milling of the old surface and then applying new asphalt.
Workers will also repair guardrails, install new rumble strips on the shoulders and apply new road markings and signs as the project winds down.
How will traffic be rerouted?
While local access will be maintained, detours will be in force, which is particularly important given the bridge replacements. The detour routes include County Road BB to County Road DR, and Highway 67. The DOT is advising people that alternate routes might also be necessary.
More information is available at https://projects.511wi.gov/18bridges/.
Contact Jim Riccioli at (262) 446-6635 or james.riccioli@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @jariccioli.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 3 bridges on Highway 18 to be replaced in 2023-24 project in Summit
