Highway committee gets glimpse at new garage

By RICHARD JENKINS

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MERCER, Wis. - Work hasn't quite wrapped up but the Iron County Highway Committee had a chance to see the progress on construction of the highway department's new Mercer garage Tuesday as the committee held its meeting at the site.

Highway Commissioner Mike Swartz said the project was a little behind schedule but then hoped to move into the building by the first week of April.

Even after the department has begun occupying the building, Swartz said there are still things that will need to be finished around the exterior.

"We have a lot of work to do outside," Swartz told the Daily Globe after the meeting. "All the door approaches - these big overhead doors, we have to (build) concrete approaches; we have to blacktop the parking area; ... we've got a lot of graveling to do; we're putting in a scale."

The 100-foot by 150-foot building is intended to replace the department's 4,000-square-foot structure at the site that was built in the 1930s, although the department will likely use the old building as cold storage as part of the state's transportation aid formula is based on available storage space.

The project costs roughly $1.7 million, according to Swartz.

The new garage drew nothing but praise from those in attendance.

"It's so nice and bright in here," said county board chair Joe Pinardi.

"This is exciting," said Scott Erickson. "This is better than I envisioned."

The committee approved hiring three workers as the department's part-time summer help, with the wages to be set depending what other county departments are advertising to ensure consistency in pay rates.