Hwy. W work expected to begin in 2023

HIGHWAY W NORTH OF SAUKVILLE frequently floods, as this photo taken last year shows. Officials hope reconstruction of the road will alleviate the problem. Press file photo
Reconstruction of Highway W between Highway 33 in the Village of Saukville and Mink Ranch Road in the Town of Saukville would likely begin in spring 2023 under an engineering and design estimate approved last week by the Ozaukee County Public Works Committee.
A selection committee recommended that the county spend about $142,000 to contract with RA Smith engineering consultants from Brookfield on the project, which was more than twice that of the lowest bid.
However, the low bid was rejected because selection committee members felt the lowest bidding firm, which is based in Illinois, didn’t fully understand the scope of the project. The Illinois firm also proposed a more aggressive schedule that the selection committee considered unrealistic.
Selection committee members included Ozaukee County Public Works Director Jon Edgren, county Planning and Parks Director Andrew Struck, county Construction Supt. Warren Guettel and Saukville Public Works Supt. Ray deBruijn.
Their recommendation was approved last week by the county Public Works Committee.
The county submitted requests for proposals to 12 engineering firms and received three bids.
The state awarded the county a $1 million Local Road Improvement grant last year for the project, with the county providing a $500,000 match.
Construction is likely to take two years, officials said. Some land will likely have to be acquired.
The Highway W project was one of 42 projects statewide funded through the program, according to the state Department of Transportation.
Money for the project became available after the state Supreme Court ruled last year that Gov. Tony Evers incorrectly used his line-item veto on transportation funding to fund repaving of the Ozaukee Interurban Trail bike path and similar projects.
That stretch of Highway W north of Highway 33 to Mink Ranch Road runs along the Milwaukee River and has flooded on an almost annual basis in recent years, making it impassable at times.
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