To achieve the infrastructure goal in the City of Sheboygan’s Strategic Plan, the Sheboygan Department of Public Works (DPW) will continue the aggressive street resurfacing and reconstruction projects again this year. Over the last decade Sheboygan averaged just over two miles of streets that were resurfaced each year. Last year they were able to resurface six miles of streets. In 2018 the DPW plans to resurface 6.5 miles of city streets.
The aggressive resurfacing was financed with funding from the State of Wisconsin, garbage fee, bonding from the City Capital Improvements Program, Sheboygan County sales tax revenue sharing, vehicle registration fee, and the DPW operating budget. There are many types of repairs that were funded in this program. They include milling off asphalt over concrete and resurfacing with new asphalt, new concrete, new asphalt over concrete resurfacing, asphalt road seal, crack filling, curb replacement, and gutter replacement.
The following streets scheduled for improvements this summer are:
- 17th St. from Erie Ave. to Saemann Ave.
- Heller Ave. from N. 15th St. to N. 17th St.
- Mehrtens Ave. from N. 15th St. to N. 17th St.
- 3rd St. from Broughton Dr. to Bluff Ave.
- 7th St. from Erie Ave. to Superior Ave.
- Washington Ave. from Lakeshore Dr. to west of S. 18th St.
- Taylor Dr. from Kohler Memorial Dr. to Erie Ave.
- 13th St. from Broadway Ave. to Union Ave.
- 14th St. from Broadway Ave. to Union Ave.
- 16th St. from Business Dr. to S. 14th St.
- Colorado Ct. from Business Dr. to Union Ave.
- Nevada Ct. from S. 14th St. to S. 15th St.
- Main Ave. from N. 15th St. to Railroad Crossing
- Division Ave. from N. 15th St. to N. 17th St.
- Winter Ct. from N. 13th St. to Calumet Dr.
- Kuehne Ct., Plath Ct., and Blocki Ct.
- National Ave. from N. 8th St. to N. 9th St.
- Zimbal Ave. from N. 6th St. to N. 8th St.
- Evans St. from Erie Ave. to Pennsylvania Ave.
- Taylor Dr., Horizon Dr., Stahl Rd., Sunset Dr., and SouthPointe Dr. in the SouthPointe Enterprise Campus
About one third of the street improvement projects will be done by the DPW Streets Department staff. Last year the department purchased a new asphalt paving machine. Having the Public Works employees operate the equipment, along with purchasing asphalt from the County Highway Department will result in overall lower costs to repair streets, ultimately allowing the department to repair more miles of streets. Depending on the cost of materials, the department may be able to add some additional projects to their schedule and exceed the proposed 6.5 miles of streets scheduled for resurfacing.
This program not only addresses the obvious repairs, but will also fund maintenance operations that focus repairs on streets that are rated good or better which extends the life cycle at lower costs and extends the time delaying the more costly resurfacing option. The City street network, much like other critical infrastructure, has a direct impact on the City of Sheboygan’s quality of life and the economy. The infrastructure investment today will have lasting impacts on future generations. Typical repairs last 20 years, whereas, reconstruction projects will last 50 years.
The City is over 150 years old and the street network of more than 200 miles was not built in a few years. The generations before us planned and constructed a community of neighborhoods and streets that has served our community well. It is now our responsibility to maintain and preserve this system for future generations.