University Ave. to be closed for reconstruction project until July

Project to affect traffic, businesses

Madalyn O'Neill by Madalyn O'Neill

Middleton drivers should expect delays and some alternate routes in the coming months.

Starting April 22, stretches of University Avenue between Cayuga and Park Streets will be closed going both ways for reconstruction work.

It’s part of a more than $2 million project between the city of Middleton and Dane County, which involves new pavement, utility improvements and new traffic lights and left turn lanes at the Parmenter Street intersection.

“We’re going to lose business for sure,” said Brewer Stouffer, owner of the Roman Candle Pizzerias. He should know – he just got done dealing with construction at his Monroe Street location.

“It affected us pretty significantly,” Stouffer said.

Now the orange cones will be back, this time, in front of his Middleton Roman Candle on University Avenue and Parmenter Street.

“For a whole month we’ll lose our parking lot. That’s going to be terrible,” Stouffer said. “I sure hope the Middleton construction isn’t nearly as bad as the Monroe Street construction. I don’t think it will be. It’s not as long or extensive.”

“It will be a very brief project, as road projects go,” Middleton city administrator Mike Davis said.

Davis said the three-phase project is slated for about two and a half months.

The official detour for westbound traffic takes drivers from Allen Boulevard to Century Avenue to the beltline.

“When University Avenue has any construction on it, it tends to increase traffic on the beltline,” Davis said, adding that traffic will likely increase in surrounding neighborhoods, as well.

“Be very careful, particularly if you’re going through residential neighborhoods,” he said. “Pretend it’s your neighborhood.”

Davis said the driving force behind this project is the need to accommodate greater traffic and create a smoother experience.

“(It will be) much smoother, (with) a brand new surface,” Davis said. “It should look great.”

#TrafficAlert Starting April 22, stretches of University Ave in Middleton will be closed both ways between Park Street and Cayuga Boulevard. It will be reopen July 4. �� pic.twitter.com/LFPZKZpyWt

— Madalyn O’Neill (@news3madalyn) April 4, 2019

The finished product is something Stouffer is excited about, too.

“I’m looking forward to never seeing the streetlight fall down again on University Avenue. I’ve seen that at least five times,” he said. “Cars hit it, trucks hit it as they take corners. It’s nuts.”

He hopes additional turn lanes will turn that around, and believes the construction will be a brief detour before getting business back on track.

“I’m looking forward to it being a safer intersection,” Stouffer said. “We’re nervous, but we do deliver. If people don’t want to brave the construction and come to us, they can call us.”

Davis said since the school is nearby, the city is working with school officials to coordinate bus routes.

The reconstruction work is scheduled to finish up July 4. More information on the project can be found here.

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