Drexel Expansion Named 'Project of the Year'

The reconstruction of Drexel Avenue was one of the biggest and most complicated road projects in the recent history of Oak Creek.

It took almost a full year for crews to transform a rural two-lane road into a four-lane divided boulevard. Workers dealt with an array of challenges, from wetlands, to a Butler's Garter Snake habitat, to water movement under the roadway. They also built a bike-pedestrian path on the north side of the road.

The work got done —the road reopened last November—and has been recognized as a Project of the Year by the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Public Works Association.

The team led by Brookfield-based R.A. Smith National, along with the city of Oak Creek and Super Western, were recognized at the association’s annual conference May 8‑10, according to a news release.

"There were a number of roadway design and environmental challenges that the project team met head on," city design engineer Matt Sullivan said.

The team designed a unique system to stabilize wetlands that contained poor soils, shifted the center-line of Drexel to avoid disturbing Milwaukee County park lands, protected habitat and constructed the project simultaneous to the creation of the I-94 interchange, Sullivan said.

"The city is pleased with the overall results," he said.

Oak Creek borrowed $6 million for the reconstruction of Drexel Avenue and $4.6 million for the Drexel Interchange.

The Drexel-related debt will be repaid through utility aid the city gets from hosting the We Energies power plant, not property taxes, officials said last year.