Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties

Iron County U.S. 51 construction expands

WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. — The Wisconsin Department of Transportation will be expanding its construction on U.S. 51 in Iron County this week.

Beginning Wednesday, work will begin on the highway between Weber Road and County C.

American Asphalt is the prime contractor for the $1.6 million project; which will resurface the highway, replace culverts and install centerline rumble strips.

The company is also the prime contractor for a project of a similar scope between Moose Lake Road and South End Road that was scheduled to start Aug. 7. That section of highway is between Weber Road and County C.

Work is also underway to replace the bridge over Weber Creek, just south of Weber Road, where the road has been reduced to a single lane and a temporary traffic signal is in-place.

Wednesday’s project is scheduled to be completed by October 2017, but a WisDOT spokesperson said that schedule is dependent on “favorable weather conditions and construction progress.”

U.S. 51 is expected to remain open to traffic during all three construction projects, the spokesperson said, but lane closures and flagging operations can be expected.

—Richard Jenkins