Cost Concerns Along State Hwy 57

The Baileys Harbor Town Board discussed the infeasibility of burying utility lines and the possibility of adding seven bump-outs when the state repaves Highway 57 through the business district. The bump-outs, desired at intersections, lessen the width of the crossing for pedestrians and improve pedestrians’ visibility around parked cars near crosswalks. 

Town Chair David Eliot told the board at the Dec. 7 meeting that burying the lines, which would necessitate an additional Wisconsin Public Service powerline bypass route along Cherry Road, would be too expensive – more than $6 million. That idea was put to rest, but the board still discussed the cost of burying lines in the vicinity of the new park at the former Nelson’s hardware site. 

As for bump-outs, Skyler Witalison, consulting engineer for the town, said due to the slope and crown of the roadway, many of the proposed locations would interrupt drainage and create birdbath-like ponding. The board asked him to see which ones, if any, are near enough to storm drains that a drain inlet could be moved to drain at the bump-out.

Also, county highway officials told Witalison snow plowing for parking stalls near any bump-outs could become the town’s responsibility.