Lang Drive getting a makeover – down to two lanes during day, closed at night

DOT found extra funds,
moved up repairs by couple years

It starts this week – the long awaited repairs on Lang Drive in La Crosse.

The wagon trail-like Lang Drive wasn’t set to for repairs for another couple of years. Then the Wisconsin DOT found some extra money to move that schedule up a bit.

The stretch of road along the river marsh will be down to one lane each way during the day and closed at night, in hopes to be completed by Oktoberfest.

In the mayor’s office at city hall, Tim Kabat is virtually popping the corks on champagne bottles.

“It’s long overdue and folks are very excited with this project moving forward – probably more so than any stretch of road in the entire region,” La Crosse mayor Kabat said. “I’ve gotten more calls, complaints, concerns expressed about lang drive than any other place.”

Typically, nighttime construction noise is frowned upon in La Crosse – even rules against it. But not when it comes to getting these repairs done as quickly as possible.

“Obviouslywe can waive those when there’s a good case to be made,” Kabat said. “And I think this would be a great case to get this thing done.”