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Ephraim, Gibraltar 2019 Highway Plans and Detours

The Department of Transportation (DOT) laid out the anticipated construction schedule and proposed detours for the 2019 Highway 42 resurfacing project before the public on June 28. While portions of Fish Creek are slated for some hard closures and detours around the downtown district, the DOT is hoping to avoid the bulk of the tourist season, with no work taking place on the highway in July and August.

The June 28 meeting with the public was after Pulse press time, but we attended the initial meeting between the DOT and local officials on June 25 for the first look at the proposed schedule and detours.

Most traffic impacts and closures are taking place in the Town of Gibraltar near the northern end of Fish Creek by the YMCA and Gibraltar School. The Village of Ephraim may also experience significant traffic impacts between the village beach and fire station museum, but that portion of the highway project is being managed separately by the village and is not included in the DOT project.

Work is expected to begin in early March and some officials expressed concern with the threat of weather, such as the unlikely event of 24 inches of snow in mid-April, which happened this year.

DOT Project Manager Jeremy Ashauer said weather is always going to be a factor and he is confident the contractor will be able to complete the work in the allotted time.

Construction is scheduled to be completed by the end of September 2019.

The DOT plans to meet with the business community later this year to discuss ways to mitigate impacts to local businesses.

The following is taken directly from the DOT’s project-specific website (http://projects.511wi.gov/wis42recon/) where you can find ongoing information about detours, traffic impacts, scheduling and aid to local businesses.

March 2019 – Early May 2019

Stage 1 of the detour will take place between early March and Memorial Day weekend.

  • Highway 42 will be detoured around Gibraltar. The detour will follow County E and County A.
  • Highway 42 will remain open in Gibraltar to Shore Road, however there will be flagging through work zones and parking restrictions.
  • Highway 42 will be closed from Shore Road to the YMCA pedestrian crossing. Access for local traffic will be permitted between Shore Road and Windmill Lane. Access for areas between Windmill Lane and County F will be from County F. Access to the Gibraltar Schools and Auditorium will be from Gibraltar Road. Highway 42 will be closed to all traffic from County F to the YMCA pedestrian crossing.
  • All other areas of Highway 42 will be open to traffic with flagging during work operations.

Early May 2019 – Memorial Day Weekend

  • Highway 42 will continue to be detoured around Gibraltar, however local access will be restored up to County F. The detour will follow County E and County A.
  • Highway 42 will remain open for local access in Gibraltar to County F, however there will be flagging through work zones and parking restrictions.
  • Highway 42 will be closed to all traffic from County F to the YMCA pedestrian crossing. Access to Gibraltar Schools and Auditorium will be from Gibraltar Road.
  • All other areas of Highway 42 will be open to traffic with flagging during work operations.
  • Detour will be modified prior to Memorial Day weekend. The detour will then use County F and County A.

Memorial Day Weekend – End of June 2019

  • Highway 42 will be detoured using County F and County A.
  • Highway 42 will remain closed to all traffic between County F and the YMCA pedestrian crossing. Access to Gibraltar Schools and Auditorium will be from Gibraltar Road.
  • No work permitted in Gibraltar from Bluff Lane to Shore Road and in Ephraim from Brookside Lane to Anderson Lane. Highway 42 will remain open at all times in these sections.
  • All other areas of Highway 42 will be open to traffic with flagging during work operations.

July 2019 – Labor Day Weekend

  • No work permitted along Highway 42.

Labor Day Weekend – End of September 2019

  • No work permitted on Labor Day weekend.
  • All areas of Highway 42 will remain open to traffic with flagging during work operations.

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