Wednesday, February 6, 2013
The federal Safe Routes To School program could allow the city to construct more sidewalks near the high school and Edgewood Elementary.
Oak Creek will explore a federal grant program in the hopes of making students' walk to school safer. The federal Safe Routes to School program is an initiative that aims to make conditions safer for children biking and walking to school. Alderman Jim Ruetz requested the city look into it because of conditions on S. Verdev Drive, near the high school and Edgewood Elementary School. "A lot of kids normally would take that route (to school), but very few do because it's a very dangerous route," Ruetz said. Sidewalks on Verdev Drive would cost an estimated $110,000 to $112,000. Safe Routes to School would be a funding source if the city's grant application is successful, City Engineer Mike Simmons said. The federal grant program is highly …
Monday, December 17, 2012
Reconstruction of the Rawson Interchange is set to begin next year.
The opening of Drexel Avenue and the new interchange with I-94 marked the end of road construction in Oak Creek in 2012. So what's in store for 2013? The lone major road project in Oak Creek will be the reconstruction of the Rawson Interchange. The interchange will be reconstructed into a "tight diamond," meaning ramp connections with the cross street will be brought closer to I-94, according to the state Department of Transportation. Officials say this will allow for better traffic operations between the interchange and 13th and 20th streets. A start date is not yet known. The Rawson Interchange reconstruction is part of the massive North-South freeway project, extending from the airport to the Illinois state line, that's scheduled to …
Friday, September 21, 2012
Work continues on expanding Pennsylvania and Drexel avenues, the city's two big road construction projects for 2012.
Oak Creek's two major road projects for 2012 are both on schedule, City Engineer Mike Simmons told aldermen Tuesday. Drexel Avenue, which has been closed between 13th and 27th streets since mid-February, is on track to finish by early to mid-November. Crews are expanding the street to four lanes and connecting it with the new Drexel Interchange, which is also under construction and scheduled to finish about the same time. Pennsylvania Avenue, meanwhile, is slated to be completed by middle or late October. The street has been closed between College and Rawson avenues since late June so that it, too, can be expanded to four lanes. Asphalt was scheduled to go in Wednesday and continue through this week, Simmons said.
Friday, August 24, 2012
Drexel Avenue between 13th and 27th streets is closed as crews work to expand the road to four lanes.
Paving will begin soon in the Drexel Avenue reconstruction project, City Engineer Mike Simmons said in an update on the city's website. The westbound lanes will be paved starting in the next week or so, Simmons said, before work shifts to the eastbound lanes. The contractor has finished installing the storm sewer and two of the three large box culverts, Simmons said. Work also continues on the Drexel Interchange. Grading and storm sewer installation are nearing completion and the center pier for the overpass bridge has been completed. Drexel is closed to through traffic between 13th and 27th streets and is not expected to reopen until the end of November. The contractor, Super Western, and the city's on-site construction representative …
Friday, July 20, 2012
Crews are focused on installing storm sewer on both ends of the project, which goes from 13th to 27th streets, and have also made progress on the new Drexel Interchange.
The contractor involved in Drexel Avenue reconstruction work is currently focused on installing storm sewer on the east and west ends of the project, City Engineer Mike Simmons said in an update posted on the city's website. Drexel is closed to through traffic between 13th and 27th streets and is not expected to reopen until the end of November. The contractor, Super Western, and the city's on-site construction representative have made controlling traffic and dust a priority so residents living in the area can safely travel through the construction, Simmons said. The state Department of Transportation is making steady progress on the new Drexel Interchange as well, Simmons said. Read more on the city of Oak Creek website. The Drexel Avenue…
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Construction won't start until 2014, but the Oak Creek Common Council on Tuesday approved a contract for design of the project.
Construction on a new street to connect Fifth Avenue with Highway 100 is a few years away, but the planning is already under way. The Oak Creek Common Council has approved a contract with Strand Associates, Inc. for a lump sum of $399,070. The agreement is for design work for the street. Construction is planned to start in 2014 and finish in 2015. The street will go from the intersection of Highways 100 and 32 across vacant land to the intersection of Ryan Road and Fifth Avenue. City officials see the project as one of the first steps in improving access to the Oak Creek lakefront. Right now, drivers going east on Highway 100 must turn left onto Highway 32, then take a right on E. Ryan Road to get to the lake. The new road will give …
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Major work planned on Pennsylvania and Drexel avenues.
With one major project already under way, the Oak Creek Common Council has finalized the rest of the road work that will take place in 2012. The biggest projects in the city this year are the widening of Drexel and Pennsylvania avenues. Work on Drexel, which is now closed west of 13th Street, began Feb. 13. Drexel between 27th Street and Interstate 94 will transform from a two-lane rural road to a four-lane divided boulevard, with on-street bicycle accommodations, street lighting, additional turn lanes at 27th Street and stoplight modifications. It will connect with the new Drexel Interchange, which is scheduled to get under construction in May. Officials say it's one of the largest road projects Oak Creek has ever undertaken. The cost of…
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Simmons had been acting city engineer since January 2010.
Mike Simmons, who has been acting Oak Creek city engineer since January of 2010, was formally appointed to the position this week. The move comes on the heels of the Common Council's decision to strip residency requirements for most department managers. Mayor Dick Bolender made the appointment, which was unanimously approved by the council Tuesday. "In the short time I've known Mike, Mike has been an outstanding person," Alderman Dan Jakubczyk said. "I've had every one of my questions answered and he does it in a very professional manner." The change does not have a financial impact as Simmons keeps his current salary, according to city officials. The ordinance lists a salary of $88,674. The city's engineering department is in charge of a…
vocal local 1
5:23 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013
Lets fix the 15mph, yellow, flashing sign location. Current location is not the area I run into kids crossing the street. West sign needs to be moved to the corner of Knight's Way. more ›