Phillip Street project expected to wrap up in about three weeks

There has been no shortage of detours and orange cones in the Rhinelander area over the last several months, as multiple infrastructure improvement projects are taking place simultaneously. One of the projects  — replacement of the 50-year-old water main under the Phillip Street bridge — is expected to wrap up later this month, Mark Barden of Town and Country Engineering told the Rhinelander Common Council Monday evening.

“I would say in three weeks that project will be wrapped up,” Barden told the alderpersons.

Town and Country is assisting the city in overseeing that project as well as the Oneida Avenue and Timber Drive improvement projects.

“They have all the water main removed from underneath the bridge,” Barden reported Monday. “They’re starting to install the hangers on the bottom of that bridge. You’re going to see tonight there’s some modifications we had to do to some of the brackets under there to make that work. They’re moving slowly getting those brackets on and they’re hitting some hardened steel in that bridge deck which is causing some issues and also requiring some modifications to some brackets in there.”

“We’re anticipating that the brackets will be up in next week,” he added. “At that point they’ll start installing the pipe. We’ll get it tested and once it’s tested we’re going to have to install the water main on the west side of the bridge”

The council’s last briefing on the bridge project was in July.

At that time, the alderpersons were told that the project was originally planned for 2022 but was delayed because it was not possible to get the necessary insulated water main. 

Also, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), which regulates dams, was delayed in approving the permit and scope of work. 

Phillip Street is open during the overnight hours to allow for emergency vehicle traffic, Barden added.

Heather Schaefer may be reached at [email protected].