Highway commissioner reports paving wrap‑up, culverts, bridge work and winter prep

Kevin Lang, Marathon County’s highway commissioner, told the Infrastructure Committee on Sept. 4 that crews are finishing paving, continuing culvert projects and performing polymer overlays on bridge decks to extend their life.

Lang said crews are beginning heavier brush cutting, the shop is preparing winter equipment, and the county is increasing brine capacity by outfitting 14 trucks with tanks and spray systems. He noted four replacement trucks remain to be procured and some older spare trucks are over 20 years old, requiring increased maintenance.

Lang warned the next eight weeks would be busy administratively: staff will administer LRIP applications for cities, villages and townships and prepare Rural STP and STP bridge program grant applications due in October. He said those are federal and state grant cycles the county typically manages and that timelines are compressed.

Committee members asked about transition staffing and the workload; Lang said the onboarding and handoffs have been productive but the fall will be busy with grant deadlines and equipment procurement.

No formal committee action was required; the segment was an informational report to the committee.