By Jalen Maki
Tomahawk Leader Editor
TOMAHAWK – A nearly one-mile stretch of road in the City of Tomahawk is slated to be repaved, but the project may not begin for several years.
On the current timeline, work on Somo Ave./State Hwy. 86 from Tomahawk Ave. to Charlotte St. wouldn’t begin until summer 2029. However, if the city begins the planning process soon, the project could potentially be moved forward on the calendar.
The City of Tomahawk Board of Public Works, during its meeting on Tuesday, July 26, voted to approve a financial agreement with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT). Under the contract, WisDOT will cover 100% of the project’s construction costs, while the city will be responsible for 25% of the engineering costs.
Although the city’s portion of costs is currently estimated to be $58,000.000, City Clerk/Treasurer Amanda Bartz told the board that the agreement is “very preliminary” and figures are likely to change as the state works through the design process.
It will be up to city to make several decisions regarding design, including curbside parking.
The state will not pay for the portion of pavement allocated to parking, Bartz noted.
“Parking is probably going to be one of the most contentious things that we’re going to look at with this project, because if we disallow the parking, that creates some issues with residents and some businesses, so we really need to think about that and if that’s something we want to continue to do,” Bartz stated.
Although the state will not pay for street lighting, it will work with Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) to assist in changing the lights to LEDs.
The city will also have to make decisions regarding other design aspects, including sidewalks and bike lanes. Associated costs could potentially be city’s responsibility, depending on choices made.