Work begins on $1.5 million in Port street, sewer projects

Port Washington’s 2019 street improvement projects began earlier this month with work on Summit Drive.

The work began less than a week after the Common Council approved a $1.5 million contract for street and water main work with Heartland Construction.

The city received two bids for the work, Public Works Director Rob Vanden Noven told aldermen on April 3, and Heartland was the low bidder.

“They’re ready to go,” he said. “They’ve got their equipment on Summit Drive already.”

The city will be reconstructing the street and replacing the water main on Summit Drive from Lincoln Avenue to Portview Drive, on Roger Street from Melin to the dead end and on Garfield Avenue from Second to Fourth street.

It will also be replacing the street on Third Avenue from Garfield to the dead end and replacing water mains on Western Avenue and Ravine Street.

Vanden Noven said that the gas company has completed its work on Rogers Street and is working on Garfield, which should help the water projects move ahead promptly.

Last year, he said, the street projects were delayed while the gas company completed its work.

The Common Council agreed to move ahead with the necessary borrowing for the water improvement projects for 2019 and 2020 after a presentation by its financial consultant, Carol Wirth, who said the time is right for the community to borrow funds at an interest rate of less than 3%.

Vanden Noven also unveiled a six-year street replacement and resurfacing plan, noting that the priorities will be roads where surface work needs to be done and there have been a significant number of water main breaks.

“Some of these streets are averaging more than one break every 100 feet,” he said.

Much of this work will be done on the city’s north side, although some work planned for 2020 and 2025 will be done on the west side, according to the plan.

In 2020, the plan calls for work to be done on Jefferson, Webster, Stanford and Benjamin streets east of Holden Street and south of Whitefish.

In 2021, work would be don on Monroe, Benjamin, Webster and Nelson Drive west of Wisconsin Street.

In 2022, the street slated for improvements are Thomas Drive, Holden Street north of Barry Avenue, Michael Court, Barry Drive, Cindy and Viola circles and Beutel Road between Holden and Benjamin streets.

In 2023, the plan calls for work on Jefferson, Grant, Walters and Whitefish west of Holden Street.

In 2024, work would be done on Crocker, Garfield, Melin and Roger streets, and in 2025 work would be done on Tower Drive, First, Second and Third avenues, Eva and High streets.

The city would spend about $1 million on the street projects each year, Vanden Noven said, and about $700,000 on water main repairs.

In addition, he said, he would like the city to budget about $100,000 annually over five years to repair sidewalks.

“I do get calls all the time from people unhappy because the sidewalks have heaved in front of their houses,” Vanden Noven said.