STOUGHTON — Dave Melton has survived just about everything as the owner of a used car dealership and a service shop here.
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Dave Melton, owner of Melton Motors, shows the parking lot at his used car dealership and service department, which was damaged by equipment used for road construction outside his business. He’s resorted to parking old, unsellable cars along the easement between his property and an adjoining retaining wall in an attempt to protect his property, and said he hopes he’ll be reimbursed for the damage.
Barricades blocked off Highway 51 going east through downtown Stoughton on Tuesday. Crews have removed the barricades, temporarily, for the city’s annual Syttende Mai festival this weekend.
Workers construct a retaining wall along East Main Street. The first phase of construction on Highway 51 was set to wrap up in December, but a three-month delay with the retaining wall has shut the road back down and could lead to fines for the contractor.
Koffee Kup server Sabrina Vogel, right, talks with Harvey Douma, of Oregon, who comes to the Stoughton diner weekly. Several downtown merchants say they have struggled amid Highway 51 reconstruction, as traveling motorists opt out and foot traffic dwindles.
Bridget Hodges, owner of the Koffee Kup, picks up used dishes. Last week, Hodges put out a Facebook post about her empty restaurant, asking for help amid the roadwork on Highway 51.
Even as the first phase of the Highway 51 reconstruction project on the city’s east side continues past schedule, work has started on the west side. That portion will reconstruct the road between Harrison Street and Roby Road. A separate project on the northwest side will add two roundabouts at dangerous intersections.
Ciré Rosenbaum, owner of Dune Gift and Home, and employee Jenn Zutter, left, are already brainstorming ways to bring more people downtown in 2029.
Brian Johnson, owner of Cheesers, expects the downtown Stoughton staple may have to do pop-up shops, offer more delivery or strengthen online sales heading into 2029, when the road in front of his store will be under construction.
A flyer for a Friends of Downtown Stoughton event is displayed at the main entrance to Spry Whimsy Fiber Arts. The downtown merchants’ association is looking ahead to 2029, when the state Department of Transportation plans to reconstruct the road running through the downtown.
Reconstruction of a retaining wall along Highway 51 is seen in the background as Jules Crooks, a woodworker and instructor at Grand Inspired, works at the business on East Main Street. The first phase of construction was set to be wrapped up last winter, but problems with the retaining wall have kept crews out for an additional three months.
