LAKE GENEVA, Wis. — Lake Geneva will be an orange cone zone in 2027 and 2028 when WisDOT completely renovates Main Street through the city. The agency will update residents on the plan on Thursday evening.
According to the WisDOT project site, crews will reconstruct Highway 50 in the entirety of Lake Geneva starting next year. The work includes fresh pavement, new traffic signals, and making the sidewalks compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Watch: Lake Geneva residents try to prepare for Highway 50 reconstruction next year:
"It's scary," said Beth Tumas, who owns The Bottle Shop directly on Highway 50. "We're concerned because rents aren't cheap in downtown Lake Geneva, but we still want people to come."
"The concern is how everybody is going to get down Main Street and where they're going to park, things like that," said Kathleen Stevens, who lives in Lake Geneva and often walks downtown. "You just hope the businesses will still do well."
WisDOT's public meeting is planned for Thursday, March 19 at Lake Geneva City Hall from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tumas already knows what she wants to ask the agency.
"Where is the timeframe so that we can come up with a plan?" Tumas said. "I don't know if we're going to offer discounts. We're just trying to figure out what's going to work and what people want."
WisDOT has not clarified on their website exactly when construction will start.
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