CEDARBURG, Wis. — Cedarburg will begin a full reconstruction of Washington Avenue next month, starting the project a year ahead of initial plans to address deteriorating road conditions that have created challenges for residents and businesses.
Watch: Cedarburg business, neighbor welcome reconstruction of Washington Avenue
The construction will span from north of Lincoln Boulevard to south of Pioneer Road. In addition to resurfacing, the city plans to replace traffic lights, water mains and sewers as part of the comprehensive project expected to continue until mid-October.
"We live in Wisconsin, you gotta be ready for potholes," said Mark Arnholt, who lives just blocks away from the construction zone.
Arnholt said he welcomes the improvements but worries about potential impacts on local events.
"Always nice to try and have them fix 'em up," Arnholt said. "The question is, what does that do to our festival traffic?"
Randy Bloch operates Bloch Heating and Air Conditioning on Washington Avenue with his wife, Connie. They have run their HVAC shop on the street for decades, watching the area transform around them.
"There was no Dunkin' Donuts. There was no Starbucks. As a matter of fact, this corner was an old gas station," Bloch said.
From his second-floor office, Bloch can see the road's deteriorating conditions but remains optimistic about managing through the construction period.
"There will always be people being inconveniences with construction. It's just the way it is," Bloch said. "In speaking with the city, they're going to do their best to make sure businesses stay open."
The city says full road closures will be rare and even then would only last a few hours. The city hopes to complete construction by mid-October.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
