Muskego's Janesville Road lighting plan scrapped after cost estimate

Muskego - A desire to brighten the far eastern end of Janesville Road with more street lights and to make it more walker-friendly by installing three more crosswalks withered when the estimated cost turned out to be $118,900.

The Community Development Authority had hoped to tack a few more street lights and crosswalks onto the landscaping plans for Janesville Road. But as it turned out, that would be much more than the estimated $72,500 landscaping plan cost that projects abundant landscaping in the boulevards along Janesville Road from Moorland Road to College Ave.

Officials said they hope there will be enough money left over from the city's part of the Janesville Road widening project to cover the landscaping cost, said Jeff Muenkel, community development director.

So, the landscaping plan alone is to go to the Muskego Common Council. The plan tries to reflect the landscaping already planned for the downtown and other parts of Janesville Road, Muenkel said.

Currently, the street lights would stop at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, W14325 Janesville Road, a little more than half the distance from Moorland to College. City officials looked into extending lights in the median to College Ave. But that additional cost came to an estimated $79,000.

Adding three new crosswalks would have tacked $40,000 onto the tab, officials estimated.

Adding landscaping to the terraces between the curb and sidewalk also was considered. But Muenkel said that would be a maintenance nightmare with the terraces being only 3 to 4.5 feet wide. He doubted that Waukesha County would agree to it, anyway.

- Jane Ford-Stewart