With the deepest part of the deep-freeze winter settling on the path around the Falls this week, the construction season seems a long way off. Even so, there is evidence that some work continues, and plans for other work must be undergoing finalizing details.
The most noticeable work, because of its massive scale, is along Highway 41 in Green Bay. There was a time when people used to say, “Wisconsin has two seasons, winter and road construction.” Given modern techniques, the two seasons are not mutually exclusive. The large orange barrels used to direct traffic are evidence of that.
Anyone passing through Green Bay in recent days could travel through sections of the roadway where the barrels were strewn in roadside ditches or crushed tightly in a bank of snow next to concrete lane barriers. Snow plows seem to have little respect for those barrels.
Even though the orange barrels have suffered wear and tear, some work continues, most noticeably the building of the concrete supports for the elevated sections of the roadway that will eventually provide a seamless flow of traffic between Highways 29, 41 and 43. The heavy layers of insulation around the concrete forms enable the concrete to be poured and properly cured even though the outside temperatures are well below the usual freeze mark.
Concrete is very sensitive to freezing temperatures. In one or two situations, contractors have done concrete work for the district in less than ideal temperature conditions, and the final product did not meet expectations. Later, the concrete had to be torn out and replaced. We would hope that greater attention to that risk is being given to the work on those highway support structures in Green Bay.
While the earth-moving and concrete work is halted or moving at a slower pace with the colder weather, some previous work can now be seen and appreciated. One nice feature is the planting of trees in several areas adjacent to the new roads. Most recently, this could be seen in an area where Highway 29 threads its way from the 41 intersection.
At this point, the trees are not more than 10 feet tall and are staked with support lines to help stabilize them as the roots begin to find their way into the soil. Even though the trees look a bit spindly at this stage in their life, it’s not too hard to imagine what they might look like 10 years down the road as they provide a contrast to the hard surface of the road, help muffle traffic noise and give off a little oxygen to counteract the carbon dioxide given off as the traffic flows past.
The highways are intended to last a good long time. A number of efforts, including color, breaks in the flat face of the concrete, fake brick panels and names of intersecting streets on overpasses are used to make the structures more pleasing to the eye. As the trees mature, they will add a finishing touch to the project.
Given the examples of the work being done in Green Bay and other locations around the state, the expectations of the work to be done with the reconstruction of Highway 22 in Oconto Falls have been ramped up. We would hope that the project would include a few of the “little extras” to make it a more attractive project.
We understand that the widening will necessitate the removal of a number of the trees along the highway. Ideally, these would be replaced with at least as many trees. There was a time when many of the streets in Oconto Falls were bordered by rows of stately elms. Those disappeared, as did a number of other varieties. Today, arborists know much more about hardy, fast-growing varieties that are appropriate for highway and city street projects. These need to be part of the project.
With Arbor Day only three short months away, the Department of Natural Resources recently contacted the district about putting in orders for trees. Annually, the state nursery program provides 75,000 free tree seedlings to Wisconsin fourth-grade students for this celebration. Though not intended to be planted along the highway, the trees can be appreciated by the fourth-grade students. By the time they are old enough to drive that Highway 29 intersection, those new trees should be quite attractive.
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