Cedarburg outlines scope, phasing and access plans for South Washington Avenue overhaul

City Administrator Mico and City Engineer Mike Weezer presented details of the South Washington Avenue reconstruction project at a public informational meeting, describing work that the city said will affect businesses, residents and traffic for several months. "This is one of the largest projects we've done in over a decade," City Administrator Mico told attendees.

Mike Weezer, the city engineer and project lead, said the contractor Vinton was awarded the contract and expected to start work around March 30, though the start could slip to April 6 because preliminary gas work must be completed first. The contract lists a completion date of Nov. 6, while Vinton’s schedule submitted to the city indicated the work might be finished earlier, in September.

Weezer gave a technical overview of the scope: replacing about 2,700 feet of sanitary sewer and relocating it into the northbound lane; performing water-main crossings and hydrant replacements; replacing catch basins and portions of storm sewer; replacing traffic signals and associated underground wiring at Lincoln and Pioneer; full pavement removal and repaving; installing new concrete curb and gutter, driveway approaches and wheelchair ramps; placing roughly 21 stamped-concrete planter bases in the terrace between sidewalk and curb; and adding two rapid-flash pedestrian beacons at Layton and Fairfield. "We’re going to remove the existing concrete pavement, replace it with 6 inches of asphalt over 10 inches of base, and install new curb and gutter," Weezer said.

Weezer explained construction phasing: Phase 1 will close the two east lanes and flip both directions of traffic onto the west lanes to allow sewer and water work that requires crossing all four lanes; Phase 2 flips traffic back after binder asphalt is placed; Phase 3 will require overnight full closures, likely between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. over multiple nights, for final paving and pavement markings, with the roadway reopened in the morning to one lane in each direction.

Staff showed detour maps for the project’s duration and for phase-specific work. The main detour will route southbound traffic via Western–181–Highland and northbound traffic via Highland–Green Bay Road–Hamilton; separate detours will be used for Pioneer and Lincoln intersection work. Weezer said the city will coordinate with festival organizers on routing and signage so event traffic is managed during construction.

On business access, Weezer said the city intends to keep at least one driveway open for each property at most times. For single-driveway businesses staff said they would pour approaches in halves or provide temporary gravel ramps during construction. He warned that poured approaches typically need about seven days to cure before they can carry traffic, though staff said they would investigate higher-early-strength mixes to shorten closures where possible.

Several attendees raised concerns about specific impacts. A laundromat owner, identified in the transcript as a public commenter, said many elderly customers rely on the business and asked whether the city had explored keeping partial openings instead of full closures so critical services remain accessible. Weezer responded that one lane in each direction will generally remain open except for short, localized full closures to perform crossings across all four lanes, and that the city will try to group crossings to limit repeated closures.

Weezer also described recycling operations: Benton's will set up a concrete crusher at Cardinal and Pioneer to process removed concrete into base material on an as-needed schedule, roughly 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays; water will be used to control dust and streets will be swept as needed. For ongoing updates, residents and businesses were directed to the City of Cedarburg website and Facebook pages and to sign up for email updates under engineering and public works.

The meeting ended with staff offering to stay after for additional questions and providing contact details for project coordination. Weezer encouraged patience during construction and reiterated that city staff and the contractor will work with businesses and event organizers to reduce disruptions. The city said it will provide weekly updates and additional notices for local closures as needed.