Dear Neighbors,

It's underway! A $1.7 million contract to construct the Southwest bike and pedestrian path (forming Dudgeon-Monroe Neighborhood's northern border) was signed by the governor at the beginning of August. Construction will begin August 7. The main contractor will be Henshue Construction of Madison. The State Department of Transportation will oversee the project, while day-to-day supervision and management will be provided by the engineering firm Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer and Associates (acronymed GAS).

At a preconstruction meeting we attended on behalf of the DMNA Rail to Trail Committee, Henshue Construction laid out their schedule. Work will begin at the southwest terminus of our path, where it will connect to the newly-completed Capital City Trail. The sequence will be: surveying/staking; installation of construction zone erosion control where needed; clearing of trees and brush; grading and earthmoving; installation of stone and gravel base course; asphalt paving; and final finishing (stripes, permanent erosion control, signage, etc.).

Henshue managers indicated they would love to finish through the paving stage this year, but may not be able to do so. The amount of fall rain will be the principal determining variable. If necessary, paving will be postponed until spring 2001.

Staking and clearing is likely to reach our neighborhood's section (Odana to Breeze Terrace) by mid-August.

Henshue and GAS welcomes our Rail-to-Trail Committee's participation. As representatives of the committee, we will attend weekly construction meetings and report to neighbors through this website, and through a system of person to person communication that Kurt Kiefer and Char Thompson are organizing to link up abutting neighbors..

Henshue particularly welcomes our help in informing neighbors prior to clearing of trees and brush. As soon as the limits of the construction zone are surveyed and staked we will inform neighbors, and will organize evening or weekend meetings to explain the limits of the clearing. At a number of points, this will go beyond the clearing operation recently carried out by MG&E as they laid their gas line. The two of us, and Char Thompson and Tony Fernandez (Cross Street), have copies of the detailed engineering plans. We will be happy to show these to neighbors. They detail the "slope intercepts" that mark the expected limit of clearing.

Henshue, and city authorities, warn us that there is little to no flexibility about removal of trees and other vegetation between the plan's slope intercepts. But they will be happy to consider neighbors' views, especially in "borderline" cases, or trees outside the intercept lines which neighbors might want to recommend for removal. The City Forester will survey the corridor and make final decisions.

Henshue and GAS are aware of the problem of the invasive weed Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum) which is strongly established along the corridor, mainly on the Forest Hills Cemetery side. As called for in the engineering plans, they will do their best not to spread the roots to the other side of the corridor, or to areas where it is not now established. Members of our committee will brief the construction crews on the location of knotweed stands prior to grading and earthmoving.

Neighbors are invited to contact either of us with particular questions. We prefer email ( pbeckett@facstaff.wisc.edu, or kkiefer@madison.k12.wi.us) but if that doesn't work for you, feel free to call (Paul, 238 2580; Kurt, 233 8661).

Please let others who are interested in the project know about these website updates. Thanks!

Paul Beckett and Kurt Kiefer

http://www.dmna.org/bikepath/bulletin4.shtml
Last Modified: 03-Feb-08 05:53 PM

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