Highway R opens for those seeking bypass of U.S. 51 work
RIB MOUNTAIN, Wis. (Oct. 20, 2005) - The ribbon fell, and cars rolled across the new north-south segment of County Highway R between Rib Mountain and Wausau on Thursday morning.
The 1.5-mile, $7.3 million arterial was begun in May 2004 and is intended to serve as a bypass of sorts for those looking to avoid some of the construction in the ongoing Interstate 51 renovation going on parallel to it. The new section of Highway R connects County Highway NN in Rib Mountain to Sherman Street in Wausau, and includes a 565-foot bridge over the Big Rib River.
County Materials, a family-owned concrete-construction materials provider based in Marathon, provided the ready-mix concrete and the girders used in the bridge, which is two lanes and includes a recreational trail. The bridge includes 2,002 cubic yards of ready-mix - 1,100 of which was poured in one 13 -hour period in spring - and five spans of seven girders, each of which reach 113 feet.
"They really took care of everything," said Darrin Stanke, engineer with and vice-president of Zenith Tech's Wausau location, who also served as project manager.
Founded in 1946, County Materials operates 30 locations serving the Midwest. The American-based company is an industry leader in the manufacture and distribution of concrete block, brick, ready-mix, hollowcore, pipe, pavers, retaining walls and Aggregate finish products for residential, commercial and municipal construction and landscaping.