Rice Lake's Main Street will be rebuilt next year under an economic stimulus grant awarded to the city last week.

Other projects under the $3.5 million grant include work on Pioneer and Haugen avenues. All projects are scheduled for 2010.

An official announcement of the grant award is Thursday at 12:30 p.m. at City Hall. Expected are Rep. Dave Obey, state Rep. Mary Hubler and state Senator Bob Jauch.

The funds were part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. That act provides federal funds to states to help save and create jobs and restore confidence in the economy.

Reconstruction of Main Street will be from South Street on the south end to Kwik Trip on the north end. Work on Pioneer Avenue will be from Hwy. O to Coleman Street. Work on Haugen Avenue will be from Hammond Avenue to Lindy Street.

Mayor Dan Fitzgerald said the city does not have to pay a share of costs. He said the project specifications must be submitted to the state by December and that bidding for the projects will be handled by the state.

Jauch and Hubler praised Gov. Jim Doyle's decision to allocate $3.5 million in stimulus funding to Rice Lake.

"The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is helping us to invest in a quality transportation system that will serve as the foundation of our state's economy. Good roads are an extremely valuable economic asset that can play a vital role in determining where a business will locate or expand," Doyle stated in a news release.

Jauch and Hubler also praised Obey's role as Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee for his leadership in passing the stimulus package.

"Communities can't grow and they can't provide decent job opportunities without strong community infrastructure such as good roads," said Obey. "The purpose of this Recovery Act stimulus funding is to meet community needs, ease the squeeze on local taxpayers and help restart the economy by stimulating job growth, and I am glad to see that these important efforts in Rice Lake and Barron County can be completed as planned."

In addition to the Rice Lake projects, Doyle and Obey recently announced $600,000 for the Turtle Lake library.

Fitzgerald said Rice Lake submitted a number of projects for funding, but they were initially denied. The city then asked Jauch and Hubler to work toward securing funding. Jauch and Hubler had several conversations with Wisconsin Transportation Secretary Frank Busalacchi and Doyle's office to encourage stimulus support for the Rice Lake projects.

Planned for next year

Consulting city engineer Bruce Markgren said although the projects are still being designed, the basic outlines are in place.

He said the city has been planning a South Main Street resurfacing project for a couple of years, and that Rice Lake Utilities have been upgrading and repairing water and sewer lines all summer in anticipation of such a project coming in the near future. He said only surface work is planned south of Humbird Street. He said there may be additional utility repairs from Humbird to Knapp Street.

He said the concrete pavement and base will be replaced on Main Street from Humbird Street north to Knapp Street and on the entire Knapp Street segment. The concrete pavement from Messenger to Humbird streets will be refinished and sealed. The concrete pavement under the existing asphalt south of Messenger Street will remain in place.

Markgren said the pavement on Pioneer Avenue is failing, and that it needs to be addressed because Pioneer Avenue is a priniciple truck route. The section from Hwy. O to South Street is cracked and rutted, and will have the base and pavement replaced. The section from South Street to Coleman Street only needs to have the pavement replaced.

The third project is Haugen Avenue from Hammond Avenue to Lindy Street. Haugen Avenue is Hwy. SS on the north side of the city. Markgren said the concrete pavement underneath the roadway has joint failure and will be removed and possibly crushed and used as part of the new base.

Work on Main Street is expected to cost about $2.5 million. Work on Pioneer Aveneu will be about $700,000, and work on Haugen Avenue will be about $300,000