Highway 27 work begins on Tuesday
By Correne Martin
The Highway 27 road construction project, from Prairie du Chien through Eastman, will begin April 3 and end around Nov. 21, according to information shared at a Monday evening meeting at the Salem United Methodist Church hall in Eastman.
Around 45 people attended to hear a summary of the project and to ask questions of the officials from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and contractors The Kraemer Company and H. James & Sons.
The work will start April 3 with milling in the area of Cipra Road, nearest Prairie du Chien. Then it will continue linearly from the south to the north, all the way to East Meadow Lane in Eastman.
Jack Kraemer, The Kraemer Company construction superintendent, said he expects milling and relay to be up to the Limery Road intersection by the end of June and up to the County N jaunt by the end of July.
Work within the village of Eastman won’t begin until July 5, and a public info meeting will be held in June to discuss more details about that section of the project, including in-town postal and garbage service.
The total project length is 9.26 miles. The Wachuta/Limery Road and Plum Creek Road intersections, as well as both County N intersections, will be realigned to improve sight distances. The entire highway will be widened significantly, according to DOT Project Manager Jeremy Krachey.
“The cross section will be similar to what it is from Eastman to Seneca,” he stated.
Krachey said rural mailboxes will need to be relocated off of Highway 27 onto side roads. He said, since mailboxes are private property, it is up to the owners to contact the post office to determine where delivery will be made during the project. Mailboxes can return to the highway upon project completion.
Property owners directly on Highway 27 will have access to their premises throughout the project.
“If they’re grading by your house, there will still be access. It may not be both ways at all times, but at least one way will be available,” Kraemer said.
He assured emergency responders who were present that someone would be in contact with their departments throughout construction to inform them of work updates. This is to assure emergency routes are the quickest and safest for residents in the vicinity.
Leading up to and throughout the project, utility lines for gas, power, phone and internet are being moved and upgraded.
While Highway 27 is closed to through-traffic, the posted detour will be Prairie du Chien to Mt. Sterling, via Highway 35, to Highway 171. However, many of those attending Monday’s meeting referenced using County Highway D to Highway 35 as their preferred route to and from Prairie du Chien.
For answers to questions throughout the project, stop by the construction office across from the Eastman fire station, or contact Krachey at jkrachey@teamenginc.com or (608) 988-7059, or Project Leader Tim Maedke at timothy.maedke@dot.wi.gov or (608) 789-6317.