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Inside parking for highway vehicles. -
The sign department.
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The new Waushara County Highway Shop located at 1001 E. Main St., Wautoma, will open its doors to the public for tours during an open house on Tuesday, April 16 from 12:30 to 3 p.m.
The new facility is 103,000 sq. ft. of concrete and block and Brian Freimark, Waushara County Highway Commissioner, said it should last the county a 100-years. The former shop was a 36,500 sq. ft. steel building and was moved into in 1975.
The new shop is large enough to house all trucks and most of the construction equipment. The equipment that is not housed at the new facility is kept in cold storage at the former shop. In addition to housing the equipment, the shop has a large repair space, fabrication shop for welding and cutting, a parts department, and a mezzanine for storage of tires, etc. There is a wash bay, a sign shop, built on the 80,000 lb floor. hydraulic lift for loaded trucks that need repair or oil changes, and more. Smaller lifts were brought over from the former shop. The county presently has over 100 pieces of rolling stock.
The new shop also has a brine maker that was supplied by the state. This brine is 23.6 % salt to water. Freimark said it reduces the amount of salt used during deicing to reduce pollution. They also have a small brine unit in Hancock as a satellite for the Interstate. Presently they will be bringing state and county roads. The conditions have to be right for it to work, Freimark said, including temps, wind, dry/damp snow etc. and it is not good in an ice storm as it dilutes fast. It takes 50 gals of brine per lane mile compared to 300 lbs. of salt granules per lane mile.
Freimark has been the Highway Commissioner for the past nine years and previously worked as the Street Superintendent for the City of Berlin. As Commissioner his position is to oversee roads and bridges throughout the county and with the Department of Transportation and local town, city, and village government.
Since Freimark has been commissioner he has added eight townships to their workload including: Plainfield, Oasis, Rose, Springwater, Bloomfield, Deerfield, Coloma, Marion, and Wautoma. They maintain 136 miles of State roads, 334 miles of County roads, and 467 miles of Township roads with 32 plow routes and 32 employees, 12 additional routes and employees since the addition of eight Towns. Nine years ago the highway department had about $6m in sales and 2022 they had $12m in sales.
In addition to the Commissioner, the staff includes two Patrol Superintendents, George Nigh (State), and Jayson Peshel (County), Shawn Schoenstene, Shop Foreman, and Karl Atkinson, Sign Shop Foreman. Freimark said the department plans to pave County Rd. H to Hwy. 49 North of Poy Sippi and County Rd E from AE to County Rd. H East through Pine River this year.
Design for the building is similar to the Fond du Lac County Highway Shop except smaller in sq. ft. and was built by the Samuel’s Group. The former main shop is being repurposed by the county.
Plan now to attend the Open House Ribbon Cutting, take a tour and enjoy refreshments, at the Waushara County Highway Shop, 1001 E. Main St., Wautoma on Tuesday, April 16 from 12:30 to 3 p.m. The main entrance is off Townline Rd. across from the water tower. This is the third phase in the County Building Project including the Poy Sippi EMS/Senior Dining, and Wautoma EMS Station. In May the fourth and final building, the Government Center, housing all county offices, will be completed.
The new facility is 103,000 sq. ft. of concrete and block and Brian Freimark, Waushara County Highway Commissioner, said it should last the county a 100-years. The former shop was a 36,500 sq. ft. steel building and was moved into in 1975.
The new shop is large enough to house all trucks and most of the construction equipment. The equipment that is not housed at the new facility is kept in cold storage at the former shop. In addition to housing the equipment, the shop has a large repair space, fabrication shop for welding and cutting, a parts department, and a mezzanine for storage of tires, etc. There is a wash bay, a sign shop, built on the 80,000 lb floor. hydraulic lift for loaded trucks that need repair or oil changes, and more. Smaller lifts were brought over from the former shop. The county presently has over 100 pieces of rolling stock.
The new shop also has a brine maker that was supplied by the state. This brine is 23.6 % salt to water. Freimark said it reduces the amount of salt used during deicing to reduce pollution. They also have a small brine unit in Hancock as a satellite for the Interstate. Presently they will be bringing state and county roads. The conditions have to be right for it to work, Freimark said, including temps, wind, dry/damp snow etc. and it is not good in an ice storm as it dilutes fast. It takes 50 gals of brine per lane mile compared to 300 lbs. of salt granules per lane mile.
Freimark has been the Highway Commissioner for the past nine years and previously worked as the Street Superintendent for the City of Berlin. As Commissioner his position is to oversee roads and bridges throughout the county and with the Department of Transportation and local town, city, and village government.
Since Freimark has been commissioner he has added eight townships to their workload including: Plainfield, Oasis, Rose, Springwater, Bloomfield, Deerfield, Coloma, Marion, and Wautoma. They maintain 136 miles of State roads, 334 miles of County roads, and 467 miles of Township roads with 32 plow routes and 32 employees, 12 additional routes and employees since the addition of eight Towns. Nine years ago the highway department had about $6m in sales and 2022 they had $12m in sales.
In addition to the Commissioner, the staff includes two Patrol Superintendents, George Nigh (State), and Jayson Peshel (County), Shawn Schoenstene, Shop Foreman, and Karl Atkinson, Sign Shop Foreman. Freimark said the department plans to pave County Rd. H to Hwy. 49 North of Poy Sippi and County Rd E from AE to County Rd. H East through Pine River this year.
Design for the building is similar to the Fond du Lac County Highway Shop except smaller in sq. ft. and was built by the Samuel’s Group. The former main shop is being repurposed by the county.
Plan now to attend the Open House Ribbon Cutting, take a tour and enjoy refreshments, at the Waushara County Highway Shop, 1001 E. Main St., Wautoma on Tuesday, April 16 from 12:30 to 3 p.m. The main entrance is off Townline Rd. across from the water tower. This is the third phase in the County Building Project including the Poy Sippi EMS/Senior Dining, and Wautoma EMS Station. In May the fourth and final building, the Government Center, housing all county offices, will be completed.