$4 Million in Road Projects Slated for Summer/Fall

March 16, 2007
Jerry Mandli, Commissioner/Director, Dane County Department of Public Works, Highway and Transportation, (608) 266-4039 Joanne Haas, Office of the County Executive (608) 267-8823.
County Executive

Worker Zone Awareness Safety Week is April 2 - 6 Madison – Nearly $4 million in Dane County highway improvement projects, including the final phase of County M and a stretch of County ID, will get under way in the coming several weeks kicking off the road construction season. “Improving conditions is the driving reason behind these four projects,” Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk said. “While drivers will benefit from these changes for many years, we in Dane County government ask drivers to remember the safety of the highway construction workers. Please slow down and stay alert while traveling through the highway work zones.” The 2007 projects involving pavement rehabilitation, intersection improvement measures and bicycle lanes are: -- County Trunk M from County Trunk Highway Q north near Mendota Park east to Signature Drive in Middleton. This is the final phase of this multi-year project for the northern highway and will cost about $1 million. The project will run from May to July and should be completed before the annual Rhythm and Booms celebration. -- County Trunk Highway ID from Mount Horeb to Blue Mounds. This project will cost $1.2 million and run from September through November. -- County Trunk Highway S from Mineral Point Road in Madison to County Trunk Highway P South in Pine Bluff. This 4.2-mile project will cost $1.2 million and run from June through August. -- County Trunk Highway PB Bridge over the Sugar River, west of Belleville in the Town of Montrose. The project will cost $400,000 and run from June through August. Falk said projects will be paid with nearly $800,000 in county funds, or 20 percent of the total cost, while 80 percent will be covered with federal dollars. Tuesday’s crash involving a Dane County highway truck and a private vehicle underscores the need for driver awareness of these large utility vehicles on the road. The March 13 accident was the fifth such accident in about a year. State records show more than 1,700 accidents and 12 fatalities occur each year in work zone areas. The Federal Highway Administration has designated April 2–6 as “Work Zone Safety Awareness Week,” and the Dane County Board of Supervisors also has passed a resolution in support of the public education campaign. “Speed is a major factor in work zone accidents that involve a vehicle and a worker often protected with little more than a hard hat and a traffic sign,” Falk said. The Dane County Sheriff Department also will be monitoring traffic in work zones during this week. Dane County maintains a Web site for construction projects, http://www.countyofdane.com/pwht/hw_engineer/projects.aspx. The Web site will include information regarding maintenance projects, along with the major construction projects listed above. The site will be updated as construction season nears. Drivers are reminded Wisconsin law mandates all motorists to slow down and move to the farthest lane on roads with two or more lanes when approaching any emergency vehicle, or highway maintenance vehicle with their emergency. ###