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Spring work, road bans and major county projects outlined in Sawyer County highway report
Summary
The highway commissioner told the committee that road bans are in effect on most county roads, frost remains deep in many locations, and multiple projects — including a culvert replacement with a detour and a four‑lane project on County B — are scheduled later this year; one project on County E North is on hold with the DNR.
The committee received the highway department's spring update outlining road bans, frost conditions, grant applications and scheduled projects.
The highway commissioner reported road bans were placed on all county highways except County Road B on March 3. He said frost tubes still show about 5½ feet of frost in the ground in parts of the county and thaw depths ranging from 12 to 22 inches in other locations, so crews have limited the amount of pavement work until the frost recedes.
Planned projects include replacement of the Smith Creek culvert (timing to be set after July, with a detour during work) and a four‑lane project on County B that will begin after the Lumberjack Festival (after July 19) with an estimated 30 working days for the scope described at the meeting. The commissioner said that a County E North project has encountered a hold from the Department of Natural Resources because of lake impact concerns; the county's supervisors and staff are meeting to pursue options for DNR sign‑off and the project scheduled for 2027 is being discussed for possible delay into 2028.
The highway department reported it will submit two grant applications this month (referred to as "flap grants" in the report) for work on County Roads S and G; the commissioner is having a consultant review the applications prior to submission. He also noted the department completed brushing for local agencies and participated in event support this winter; Berkey reimbursed the county for snow removal work related to that event.
Staffing notes included one job opening in Hayward and one employee on FMLA for a non‑work‑related injury. The department also described upcoming training and safety events for highway staff.
