Street, sidewalk improvements in the works

The city of Superior has a busy summer ahead after the city council and mayor agreed investment in fixing city infrastructure should come before paying down the city’s debt.

The Council has approved the Safe Routes to School Transportation Enhancement sidewalk project we put together — it uses funding from two federal grants and will construct or improve about 140 blocks of sidewalks near schools identified in the Safe Routes to School plan as developed by the Metropolitan Interstate Council, said Public Works Director Jeff Goetzman.

The plan was completed in 2005, just as Northern Lights Elementary and Superior Middle schools — the last constructed by the Superior school district were coming online.

Construction will begin once the Wisconsin Department of Transportation finishes review of the contracts approved by the city council.

“We are waiting for DOT to finish their review of the contracts due to federal money, and when that comes, would expect we can get started in June yet,” Goetzman said. “This project also includes the installation of rectangular rapid-flashing beacons, which are pedestrian-activated flashers [and] will be installed at four cross walks near to schools. We currently have none of these devices in town — this is a smaller version of a system you’d find at a signalized crossing with pedestrian signals, or overhead type pedestrian-only type flashers. They mount on a couple of sign posts, have signs typical to crosswalks, and have built-in flashing lights that ‘wig-wag’ below the crosswalk sign when a pedestrian pushes the button to activate. They appear in both directions of traffic, are radio-connected, and have a solar panel to charge the battery on the lights.

However, it’s not only sidewalks along school routes that are getting attention this year.

“We are currently assembling another, smaller sidewalk contract to be let for bids later this summer —it will use CDBG funds and some CIP funding to replace approximately 30 additional blocks of deteriorated sidewalks in Superior,” Goetzman said.

Motorists might appreciate the city’s plans for city streets, even if it causes a bit of inconvenience.

Ogden Avenue is getting needed attention before the long-anticipated reconstruction of Tower Avenue north of Belknap Street slated for next year.

Joint repair between Belknap and Broadway streets on the avenue one block east of Tower Avenue got underway this week.

“Crews will saw out damaged, deteriorated concrete joints and replace with new reinforcing steel and concrete,” Goetzman said.

Other streets will get attention as well.

Milling and overlays approved by the city council Tuesday night includes about 50 blocks of city streets that the city will mill away the deteriorated surface and repave with new bituminous surfacing.

“Our crews are also out ditching and patching, crack sealing in many areas,” Goetzman said.

South Superior near Bryant Elementary School is also getting needed attention.

Plans are nearly complete and ready to bid for reconstruction of the stretch in front of Bryant School; the project include new curbs, gutters, street surface and storm sewers, Goetzman said.

And that doesn’t include work planned for the city landfill, which subsidizes the city budget — and saves city residents the cost of subsidizing garbage collection in Superior.

The second phase of building containment cell 5 at the Moccasin Mike Landfill should get underway later this summer.

“Plans are nearing completion and should be out for bids on the second phase of this cell in July, hoping for an August start to construction,” Goetzman said.

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