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Committee approves 2027 street construction and five-year plan with several schedule swaps
Summary
The committee approved the proposed 2027 street construction projects and adjustments to the five-year plan, adding several short blocks and shifting Brown Street and Ninth Avenue to avoid overlapping DOT reconstruction work; staff noted grant eligibility dependencies.
The Wausau Infrastructure & Facilities Committee voted to approve the proposed 2027 street construction projects and the updated five-year plan on March 12, endorsing schedule adjustments staff said will improve coordination with state-led work and grant cycles.
Staff said Emerson, Mount View and Pied Piper (between Oaklair and Ethel) were added to the 2027 list to align with adjacent block work, and Brown Street was moved into 2028 while Ninth Avenue was shifted to 2029 to avoid simultaneous reconstruction with a planned Wisconsin DOT project on East Wausau Avenue. Staff also listed candidate work for later years, including segments of 17th Avenue for which Local Road Improvement Program (LRIP) and STP Urban funding applications are pending.
Why it matters: Keeping projects on a five-year plan is a condition for some state and federal grants; shifting streets by a year can help secure external funding and limit simultaneous construction impacts in the same neighborhood.
Staff noted the STP urban and LRIP grant timelines drive much of the plan’s fluidity; the committee acknowledged that the plan should remain flexible so engineering can begin design work when funding timelines become clear. Staff also flagged local infrastructure concerns on Ninth Avenue, including an elevated number of water-main breaks (noted as 'over 22' in the corridor), which contributed to the project’s priority.
The committee approved the plan on a voice vote after a short discussion. Committee members said they view the plan as a living document that will continue to be refined as grant awards are known.
