Medians on Janesville Road Get the Green Treatment

Although signs declaring roadwork beginning April 8 meant the placement of orange barrels along the eastern half of the Janesville Road reconstruction zone, many residents were complaining that no work was actually getting done.

"They are hassle enough while work is going on, having them there when nothing is happening is an unecessary impedment of traffic and generally a pain where the sun doesn't shine," complained reader Greg Burmeister.

However, right around the time the barrels closed off the lanes closest to the medians, the rains came and didn't stop. It's not been the practice of any road project to continually shuffle the orange heralds of construction back and forth, so they stayed in place, ruffling more than a few drivers' feathers.

The county planned the work to include the final beautification of the road project, with tree plantings, concrete and brick work.

Happily, drivers should note that this work began in earnest this week, albeit a few weeks later than planned. Dozens of trees are being planted in the medians, stretching from Moorland Road west to Parkland Road in the downtown area. Crosswalks are also being designated with the individual bricks, and the work is expected to wrap with a second lift of asphalt, road striping and the designation of a bike lane, most likely to occur in June.