Highway 40 Construction to begin spring of 2026
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
COLFAX — Construction on the U.S. Highway 12 project in Elk Mound and on state Highway 40 from U.S. Highway 12 to county Highway M is expected to begin in the spring of 2026.
The project will resurface 10.3 miles all together from Elk Mound to county Highway M in Colfax, according to representatives of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation during a virtual public involvement meeting February 18.
Dexter Kaetterhenry, consultant design engineer, and Cameron Shiffer, Wisconsin Department of Transportation Northwest Region consultant project coordinator, presented information on the project.
The project covers U.S. Highway 12 in Elk Mound from Princeton Drive to the state Highway 29 and on state Highway 40 from state Highway 29 through Colfax to county Highway M on the east side of the village.
The pavement along the route is 25 years old and is beginning to show deterioration. In addition, the pedestrian curb ramps in Colfax are not compliant with the American With Disabilities Act, Kaetterhenry said.
The project also will replace guardrails and will address drainage deficiencies, including replacing culverts and clearing out blocked culverts, he said.
The railroad crossing in Colfax will be replaced, which is expected to close Highway 40 for one week. Traffic will be detoured on Fifth Avenue in Colfax to Dunn Street to Railroad Avenue when the railroad crossing is closed, Kaetterhenry said.
For the other parts of the project, Highway 12 and Highway 40 will remain open to traffic with single-lane closures controlled by flagging, he said.
In the rural areas, 2.5 inches of asphalt will be removed and will be replaced with 3.75 inches of asphalt. In the urban areas, 3.14 inches of asphalt will be removed and will be replaced with 3.14 inches of asphalt, Kaetterhenry said.
The expansion joints on the Eighteen Mile Creek bridge in Colfax also will be replaced as part of the project. Pedestrian detours will be in place for the curb ramp replacements, he said,
The final design process for the project will be completed by August of 2025, and in the winter of 2025-2026, a contractor will be selected. The project is expected to take 75 calendar days, and construction will begin in the spring of 2026, Kaetterhenry said.
Little Italy
Anne Jensen, owner of A Little Slice of Italy on the corner of West Railroad Avenue and Main Street/Highway 40, asked about replacing the pedestrian curb ramp by her building and whether the air conditioning unit or the awning on her building would be affected.
The curb ramp will be “straightened out” but there will be no impacts to the building or the awning, and the pole with the street light will not be moved or replaced, Kaetterhenry said.
Curb to curb
Gary Stene, village trustee, asked about replacing the pavement curb to curb in downtown Colfax.
Three inches of asphalt will be removed and three inches will be paved back, Kaetterhenry said.
And that would include the driving portion of the road and the parking stalls? Stene asked.
Kaetterhenry confirmed that it would include the traffic lanes and the parking stalls.
Stene also asked about the line of sight to the south at the intersection of Highway 40 and county Highway B.
Anyone who has turned north onto Highway 40 from county Highway B knows that the line of sight to the south is poor and that drivers essentially have to hope for the best when they pull out and turn north on Highway 40
During previous road projects, the state has not done anything to reduce the hill and to improve the line of sight for traffic turning onto Highway 40 from Highway B, Stene said.
This is a “perpetuation” project. Nothing has been flagged in the project because of a crash history, so there are no improvements planned at that intersection, Kaetterhenry said.
It was not exactly clear what Kaetterhenry meant by crash history because there have been accidents at that intersection and there is probably anecdotal evidence of near-misses.
Railroad crossing
The railroad crossing on county Highway B near Menomonie delayed that project for a year. What about the railroad crossing in Colfax? Stene asked.
The county Highway B project north from the Highway 12/29 intersection was delayed for a year, to the summer of 2024, because of difficulty coordinating with Union Pacific Railroad about upgrading the crossing near Exit 45.
WisDOT has a railroad liaison to coordinate with the railroad, so no delays are foreseen, Kaetterhenry said.
The railroad tracks through Colfax are operated by Canadian National Railroad.
The “ball was dropped in the background” on the Highway B project, Shiffer said.
No issues are anticipated for Highway 40, he said.
“Dropping the ball” on the Highway B project and causing a year’s delay ended up costing the county $800,000 from one year to the next, Stene said, noting that he also serves as a supervisor on the Dunn County Board.
In addition to serving as the representative for Colfax on the Dunn County Board, Stene serves as vice-chair of the county board.
The railroad coordinator will make sure that a delay does not happen again, Kaetterhenry and Shiffer said.
Cost sharing
WisDOT will cover the cost of repaving Highway 40 through Colfax, and the village board decided a while back to have the parking lanes repaved as well, with the village paying for the cost of the parking lanes.
Stene asked about cost sharing.
The scope of the project is completed, and that is what has been funded, Kaetterhenry said.
Carrie Johnson, Colfax village administrator-clerk-treasurer, asked if a list could be e-mailed to WisDOT with additional areas that might need work or with concerns about the project.
Additional work or concerns can be e-mailed, Kaetterhenry and Shiffer said.
At the start of planning for the project, the village had to decide about paying for the parking stalls, said Rand Bates, Colfax director of public works.
There is cost-sharing for the project, Kaetterhenry said.
Bates asked about the cost of the manhole upgrades.
The storm sewers will be WisDOT’s responsibility, but adjusting the height of the manholes to the amount of asphalt on the road is at the village’s cost, Kaetterhenry said.
Same page
Stene said he wanted WisDOT to have “feet on the ground with the public works director” so that “everyone is on the same page.”
Village officials can make their lists of concerns, and then WisDOT will set something up with the director of public works, Shiffer said.
WisDOT can bring survey crews to meet with the public works director, Kaetterhenry said.
“So the sooner the better?” Stene asked.
Kaetterhenry laughed — “Yes, but not on a minus 20 degree day!”
February 18 was one of those bright and sunny winter days when the high temperature was in the low single digits with a below-zero windchill. Many schools in the area were closed because of the cold temperatures.
Synergy
Kyle Knutson, representing Synergy Cooperative, asked about Synergy’s price sign on the corner of Railroad Avenue and Main Street.
Will the price sign be impacted by replacing the curb ramp? Knutson asked.
Kaetterhenry said the concrete around the sign would be replaced but that he was not certain about the sign itself.
Shiffer said it would take a moment to find the information about the Synergy sign.
In the meantime, Stene asked about photographs of the handicapped ramps.
The survey crews did take pictures, Kaetterhenry said.
Is it possible for the public works director to access that information so he can work with the property owners and show them what is going to be improved? Stene asked.
“Yes,” Kaetterhenry said.
The replacement of the curb ramps will be similar to what is there? Bates asked.
The concrete panels must be replaced because the ADA rules require a modification of the ramps, Kaetterhenry said, adding that WisDOT “will get a visual to Colfax.”
Stene reiterated that he was asking WisDOT to do a walk-through with the public works director so that the village and WisDOT could coordinate information and expectations
Kaetterhenry assured Stene that WisDOT would do a walk-through with the public works director.
Shiffer noted that he had found the e-mail message chain he was looking for and that the Synergy sign will not have to be moved and can stay in the present location.
Johnson asked if driveway openings along Highway 40 through Colfax would have to be changed.
Driveway openings are not part of the project, Kaetterhenry said.
