From City of Tomahawk Director of Public Works John Cole:

“The Kings Road Phase II and III in conjunction with the 3rd St. sewer project are pretty much wrapped up. We should have the last of the paving done by this Friday (Aug. 9). Both projects went very well and our contractor Melvin Company did very good work. The projects consisted of 1,100 linear feet (LF) of asphalt roadway reconstruction, 1,200 LF of storm sewer installation, 14 storm sewer structures, 185 LF of sanitary sewer, 1 sanitary structure and 750 LF of sidewalk. We installed some new sanitary main down a piece of S. 3rd St. and added a manhole to fix some sewer problems that have been in need of repairs for several years.

“I am excited to have the Kings Rd. project done as I know it will bring relief to the residents that have been dealing with some storm water issues coming off of Kings Hill Dr., etc. It is always nice when you can add some curb and gutter with sidewalk to an area; it really enhances the neighborhood and helps with pedestrian traffic with the addition of new sidewalks.

“Our 2019 street paving projects are done for this year. We ended up milling some asphalt on S. Tomahawk Ave. and E./W. Somo Ave. to fix some of the bad spots in the road. We also did some base patching on School Rd., E. Lincoln Ave. and 8th St. Southgate Dr. was also pulverized and paved which was a big part of our 2019 repairs. That stretch of road from S. Tomahawk Ave. to Brief St. was pretty much coming apart and we knew coming out of winter that something needed to be done.

“I think all the paving that we did this year will help with maintaining our roadways and helping with drivability. We cannot possibly fix every road, but what we can do is prioritize what needs repairs and get a plan to fix some of the problems. Our goal is to eliminate as many potholes and potential failures so we can maintain the integrity of the roadway before it needs to be completely redone.

“The bike trail project bid has been opened up and American Asphalt was the only bidder on the project for $819,176.45, which was over what we were expecting. We are currently reviewing the numbers with WisDOT and will make a determination soon what our plans are going forward. We were anticipating the bid to come in around $650,000 to $700,000, so the number hit us by surprise. Once we hear from the state if the quantities and numbers match, then it will go to the Park/Rec. Committee for discussion.

“Bidding any project this late in the year you have the possibility of getting very few bidders because everyone has enough work for the year already, so the numbers typically come in high. I am hopeful we can work something out and get this project done.

“All of the damage from the storms has put a lot of extra work on us, but despite all that we are still on schedule to finish all our road work before freeze up.

“I want to thank the public for putting up with all the construction this summer; I know it was worth it. We will continue to do some manhole adjustments and some minor asphalt patches, but nothing should create any traffic issues or problems. We will also start doing some crack sealing on our roads this late summer yet or early fall. We also have a few patches near the school we need to finish up before school starts.”