Crawford County seeks new bridges across Kickapoo
By Ted Pennekamp
Crawford County may be getting a much needed, new bridge or two across the Kickapoo River. Highway Commissioner Dennis Pelock said the county is applying for a FEMA hazard mitigation grant through the Wisconsin Division of Emergency Management for bridges on County B in Clayton Township and County S in Haney Township near Petersburg.
“During the most recent flood and other floods in the past several years, the county gets severed,” said Pelock. “Emergency vehicles can’t get through to the other side without going into either Vernon or Grant counties. Emergency services can’t get from one side of the river to the other.”
Pelock said the total grant application is for approximately $11.2 million for the two bridges. The county would like to get the money for at least one bridge, but both bridges would obviously be better. He said a bridge on County B would cost an estimated $4.6 million. The bridge on County S would cost an estimated $6.6 million. If the grant is received, approximately 70 percent of the cost of the bridge project would be paid for through state and federal funds.
In other county roadway business, Pelock said the bridge on County U and the bridge on County C will both be open next week. He said both projects are on the tail end of construction and will be completed in the spring. These are two bridge replacements. The cost of the County C bridge is estimated at $446,000 and the bridge on County U is estimated at $533,000. State and federal funds are paying for 70 percent of the cost.
Pelock also noted that real estate acquisition is winding up regarding the Famechon Hill road construction project on County N. Bids for the project will be let in February of 2019 and construction could begin in the spring on the project estimated at $3,868,000.
Crawford County will be getting a federal grant for $2.98 million for the Famechon Hill project, which will involve reconstruction of the intersection of Highway 35 and County N and also 1.46 miles of County N going up the hill from Highway 35. The plan will consist of reconstruction of multiple substandard geometric features including horizontal curves, vertical curves and steep grades that will be improved. County N will be closed to through-traffic during the construction.
Design on the project began in the fall of 2012 and the county entered into a design contract in early 2013. Public hearings were held in 2014 and 2015 with great attendance. The grant application through the Eastern Federal Lands Access Program was submitted in November of 2016.
The highway department has proposed to do the project in two phases. Phase 1 will include the new intersection of County N and Highway 35 as well as a new box culvert, retaining wall, new entrance to the Spring Lake Restaurant and Motel, and new roadway construction and permanent erosion control to stabilize phase 1 and prepare for phase 2. Phase 1 will also include the design engineering, grading, base, pavement, right-of-way acquisition and about 50 percent of the construction engineering. Phase 2 will complete the project and will include grading, base, pavement, permanent erosion control, signing, pavement markings and construction engineering.
Pelock explained that the Federal Lands Access Program provides funding for projects involving roadways that provide access to federal lands. County N and Highway 35 provide access to Ambrough Slough, Lock and Dam 9 and Effigy Mounds National Monument. The Famechon Hill project is the first time Crawford County has been involved in the Federal Lands Access Program.
Another project for this spring is a rehabilitation of the bridge across the Kickapoo River on County S. Pelock said the bridge was built in the 1950s and will be receiving a new deck. The cost of this project is $756,000 and is also a 70-30 split with 70 percent of the cost paid for by federal and state funds and 30 percent by the county.
