2-year project will paint steel girders
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation Northeast Region office announces a painting project on the WIS 172 bridge over the Fox River in Brown County will begin Monday, August 6, 2018. The $7.8 million project is expected to finish in November of 2019. No work will be performed during winter months. WIS 172 and WIS 57 will remain open during the project.
Era Valdivia Contractors, Inc. of Chicago, Illinois is the prime contractor.
· Blasting and painting of steel girders under the WIS 172 bridge over the Fox River.
· A temporary causeway will be installed in Fox River to allow equipment access to barges.
· A containment system will be built on the bridge. This system will contain the old paint removed from the bridge. Crews will then dispose of the old paint properly.
· WIS 172 and WIS 57 will remain open during painting. Crews will use off-peak lane closures on WIS 172 and WIS 57 (Riverside Drive) to conduct painting operations.
· Continuous shoulder closures on WIS 172 to delineate containment system brackets on the bridge parapets.
· Flagging operations and various nighttime closures of the Fox River Recreational Trail and Ashwaubomay Recreational Trail will occur directly under the bridge.
· Boat traffic should be mindful of construction barge traffic and the containment systems hanging below the bridge girders.
The existing paint system on the steel girders is the original paint. This project will extend the life and help protect the steel girders against weather and salts.
Each year in Wisconsin, both highway workers and motorists are killed and injured in crashes that happen in highway construction zones. Motorists should slow down, be patient and pay attention to their surroundings in this and all work zones.
