Barstow Street Now Closed For Construction

WAUKESHA, WI — People driving in Downtown Waukesha will find new detour routes awaiting them starting midday Monday, Feb. 24, as construction crews take to Barstow Street to continue an ongoing Downtown Waukesha construction project.

Barstow St. will be closed from W. Main St. to E. St. Paul and from E. St. Paul to North St. The intersections are open to traffic, though the road is anticipated to be closed until June 30, officials say.

Reconstruction of Barstow Street is part of an overall plan that began in 2014 to re-construct the Downtown Waukesha area. Plans in 2020 call for reconstructing N/NW Barstow Street from Wisconsin Ave. to E. North Street, and Riverfront Street from Madison St. to N. Barstow St.

The project will include the installation of new water main, lining of the sanitary sewer main and laterals, storm sewer rehabilitation and adjustments, roadway reconstruction, traffic signal replacement and rehabilitation, bridge rehabilitation, pedestrian ramp reconstruction, sidewalk replacement and installation of a wider street-scaped terrace.

Officials say some trees within the terrace will be removed as a part of the project, and new street trees will be planted.

Downtown Detours

The new detour route will use Madison St., Clinton St., Wisconsin Ave., and East Ave. Traffic officials say the closure will last up to two days, and then will be re-opened to traffic once the water main has been installed across the intersection.

Once the intersection is re-opened later in the week, the detour routes and traffic control will be put back into the current configuration.

Barstow St. itself will remain closed to through traffic from W. Main St. to E. St. Paul Ave., and from E. St. Paul Ave. to E. North St., likely until the end of June, officials said.

Riverfront St. will also remain open to cars and parking.

Once the contractor moves their work south of the W. Main St. intersection, there will be lane restrictions along Barstow St. from South St. to W. Main St., but that segment will remain open to through traffic.