While motorists in Manitowoc are happy that a section of Washington Street is no longer a bumpy, pothole-filled mess, there is still a large portion of the roadway that needs to be fixed.
Washington Street and Calumet Avenue are both part of Highway 151, which is a State-owned roadway, meaning it falls on the state to perform any major reconstruction, which is desperately needed.
Manitowoc Mayor Justin Nickels has put Governor Tony Evers’ feet to the fire so to speak, as he wrote a letter to Governor Evers, Representative Paul Tittl, and Senator Devin LeMahieu, in which he let them know about the recent $265,000 project.
“This asphalt overlay on Washington Street is a very temporary fix for the road,” he explained in the letter. “A complete reconstruction is absolutely justified, especially accounting for many of the utilities under the road, which are over 100 years old in some areas.”
He also pointed out that this roadway is not only a State-owned road, but it is extremely important for the city.
“This is a major arterial road in our city. It is the entry to our community for anyone visiting. It needs to get on the schedule for reconstruction, and it needs to get reconstructed soon,” he said. “We cannot wait ten plus years to reconstruct this road.”
We spoke with Governor Tony Evers and DOT Secretary Designee Craig Thompson when they were in town for the launching of the big blue crane back in late May, and both told us that Washington Street is “on their radar”. However, there has been no follow up from the state since then.
Mayor Nickels’ letter may stimulate some change, but he suggested that citizens call the Governor’s Office, Representative Tittl’s Office, and Senator LeMahieu’s Office to voice their concerns as well. The phone numbers for their offices are listed below.
Governor Tony Evers – 608-266-0315
Senator Devin LeMahieu – 608-266-2056
Representative Paul Tittl – 608-266-0315
