Just south of the bridge on Highway 45 in Eagle River, a snowmobile crossing has seen better days.
Most of the coating has been chipped away.
For people looking to get from Riverside Park or the farmers market to downtown, it’s not a designated pedestrian crossing and lacks the safety features that generally come with one.
But there plans in the works to change that.
Eagle River Revitalization Executive Director Karen Margelofsky has been working with different trail user groups, local businesses, and the Wisconsin DOT to improve the crossing.
“The surface area of that crossing will be improved. There'll be flashing beacons on the road. There'll be indicators like white little arrows painted across the highway, and whatever else the DOT require of us, there'll be more signs saying, ‘Hey, you're coming upon a crossing, you know, from the north and the south,’” said Margelofsky.
It’s not just the crossing itself that will be improved.
There are plans for a kiosk to let people know what they can find downtown as well as information on the trail and boating systems in Eagle River.
Margelofsky says a business plans to donate a bike fixing station and she hopes to add benches and improve the fencing with a mural or something like that.
She says the main thing is they’re adding safety and visibility.
“We care about the safety of all of our users, whether they're coming into town via boat or bike or UTV or snowmobile, that they have a place that they can stop and get information and easily walk to all kinds of the great amenities and stores and shops and foods that we offer in Eagle River,” said Margelofsky. “I just think it really puts our tourism right at the forefront, right when you drive through town.”
To help pay for the improvements, Eagle River Revitalization was awarded a $50,000 Vibrant Communities Grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. Margelofsky says she applied for this specific project because of a study the Great Headwaters Trail Foundation did a couple years ago when it was trying to find the best path of the River Trail.
“They had the study already done, and it did identify that the snowmobile crossing is actually the best place for a bike crossing as well. So that's how it started, is I remembered that they had this study done a couple years ago, and I always drive by that, and I think this could be so much prettier. And that's what the vibrant spaces grant is kind of about is beautifying in an underutilized area,” said Margelofsky.
The Great Headwaters Trail Foundation donated $25,000 to hire a firm for a traffic study and renderings the DOT will need.
Margelofsky hopes to have the project go out to bid this fall and for the work to be done next spring. She encourages other user groups that want to get involved to reach out. Margelofsky expects opportunities for public input in the near future.
