Reconstruction on the southern portion of Highway M in Vilas County will be done next spring should modifications favored by the county highway committee be accepted. Those modifications are having a three foot paved shoulder rather than five feet and no rumble strips on pavement edges.
The project is 2.7 miles from Highway 51 north to Highway N and will cost a maximum of $2 million. Initial plans called for five feet of paved shoulders to accommodate bicycles but the committee pointed out there was no designated bike trail from Highway 70 going north to Highway M.
“To incur the cost of five foot shoulders at this time may not be a wise decision,” said committee member Art Kunde, with the full committee agreeing favoring only three foot paved shoulders.
While a center line rumble strip is required, the committee also favored no rumble strips along the road edges, and favored reconstruction or the Highway M and N intersection to include turn lanes.
The project is projected to be completed by July 4, 2017.
