Rawson Interchange Work Includes Unique Bridge Construction

The new bridge is under construction while the old one still stands, part of an innovative method to continue work while keeping the road open to vehicles.

Rawson Interchange Work Includes Unique Bridge Construction

The new bridge is under construction while the old one still stands, part of an innovative method to continue work while keeping the road open to vehicles.

The reconstruction of the Rawson Interchange includes a unique way of building a new bridge over the freeway. As drivers have probably noticed, the bridge and deck are under construction in two separate staging areas on either side of Interstate 94. Once they are done, they will be put into place by what's called a Self-Propelled Modular Transporter. A SPMT is a motorized vehicle that can pivot 360 degrees and lift and carry heavy loads, according to a state Department of Transportation fact sheet. Officials say using SPMTs reduces traffic disruption and allows roadways to open sooner. At Rawson, the existing bridge is scheduled to be demolished beginning May 28 (the day after Memorial Day), which means Rawson Avenue will be closed between…

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Stephen Milek

10:01 pm on Tuesday, May 7, 2013

I have been wondering how that was going to work.   more ›

Plan Ahead: Marquette System Interchange Ramp To Close Monday

If you use the Marquette system ramp from I-794 to SB I-43/94, you'll want to plan for a different route due to road closures.

The Marquette system interchange ramp from I-794 to southbound I-43/94 will close on Monday, according to officials with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. The ramp isn’t expected to be open again until late August. The ramp closure, which is part of the I-43 bridges rehabilitation project, is expected to be done before the Harley event this summer. The closure had been delayed because the I-94 restriping project needed to be completed first. Now that the project is almost done, the second lane from I-794 to I-94 WB can be reopened, which allows for an auxiliary lane between the Marquette Interchange and the Stadium Interchange. “This creates a four-lane configuration improving traffic flow out of downtown,” according to a press …

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Open House Will Display Hoan Bridge Construction Plans

Oak Creek residents who use I-794 to get downtown will have their commute disrupted starting this fall. Work is scheduled to continue until 2016.

Construction plans for I-794 and the Hoan Bridge will be on display at a public meeting set for 4 to 7 p.m. April 10 on the second floor of the Milwaukee Public Market, 400 N. Water St. The open house-style meeting allows attendees to ask questions of the project team and provide input. More information can be found on the project website. Oak Creek residents who use I-794 to commute downtown will have their travel disrupted beginning later this fall, with work continuing until 2016.

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Marty

4:17 pm on Friday, April 5, 2013

Nope - or at lease they didnt want to fight the USPS...   more ›

Drinking and Driving? There's An App For That

Hoping to reduce the number of drunk drivers on the road, the Wisconsin DOT has come up with a "Driving Sober" app.

Wisconsin loves to party. But statistically binge drinking has taken a toll on our health, our lives and our wallets, according to a study from the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. In an effort to keep those who drink from getting behind the wheel, the Wisconsin DOT has launched the “Driving Sober” app, which officials hope will prevent drunken driving arrests and crashes. “Last year during the St. Patrick’s holiday weekend, March 16 to 18, four people died in Wisconsin traffic crashes. This year, if drivers always designate before they celebrate and never get behind the wheel while impaired, we could attain zero traffic deaths,” says State Patrol Maj. Sandra Huxtable, director of the DOT's Bureau of Transportation …

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Terry

4:11 pm on Wednesday, March 20, 2013

The whole point of stiffer penalties is to discourage those 40,000 from getting themselves arrested. But yes, to answer your question, I am prepared to pay for it. Statistically speaking, if I am going to be injured or killed by criminal act in this state, it is likely to be a drunk driver. That's 40,000 drivers on the road that could kill me or my family, and those are just the ones that are …   more ›

Demolition of Rawson Ave. Bridge Under Way

The overnight work requires full freeway closures between the airport and Ryan Road in Oak Creek.

Overnight freeway closures will continue Thursday and Friday night as crews demolish the westbound Rawson Avenue bridge. The work requires I-94 between the airport and Ryan Road to be closed from 11 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. The bridge demolition is part of the Rawson Interchange reconstruction, which will continue the rest of the year. The state Department of Transportation tweeted the above photo, taken Wednesday night.

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State Eyes 2015 For 27th Street Reconstruction

Lanes will be widened, median openings adjusted and intersections reconstructed between College and Drexel avenues.

The state Department of Transportation says it's hoping that reconstruction of 27th Street between Drexel and College avenues can begin in two years. Plans call for the lanes to be widened to 12 feet, with a 5-foot shoulder created to accommodate bicycles. Several median openings will be moved, closed or modified, project manager Tony Lazcano said. Intersections will also be widened and include new signals. Some real estate issues still need to be resolved, including negotiations to relocate four buildings, which could impact the start of construction, Lazcano said. "But right now we're working toward a 2015 construction," Lazcano said. At one point it appeared work would be delayed to 2017, which prompted a response from Oak Creek …

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Rawson Interchange Construction Under Way

Drivers should look for freeway ramps and Rawson Avenue lanes to be closed in the coming months.

As drivers who frequent the Rawson Interchange may have noticed, the orange construction cones are out. And they won't be going away anytime soon. Crews have begun the first stage of a months-long project to reconstruct the interchange, which will result in multiple lane and ramp closures from now until fall. Access from northbound I-94 to westbound Rawson Avenue closed this week, and beginning next week, Rawson will be down to one lane in each direction between 13th and 20th streets. Stage 2 is set to begin March 7, which will result in several ramp closures and more lane closures, and continue until early June. The bridge will be demolished in the summer, and construction will wrap up in late fall, according to the state Department of …

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Rawson Interchange Work Could Start Soon

The state Department of Transportation hopes to begin construction in February.

An exact start date has not been set, but the team in charge of the Rawson Interchange reconstruction hopes to start work in February, according to the state Department of Transportation. The Rawson Interchange work is the biggest construction project in Oak Creek this year. The interchange will be reconstructed into a "tight diamond," meaning ramp connections with the cross street will be brought closer to I-94. DOT officials say this will allow for better traffic flow between the interchange and 13th and 20th streets. 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 continue to 2021. While work at Rawson will begin soon, …

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Ryan Interchange Reconstruction May Be Delayed

The work was originally planned for 2014, but the DOT wants to push back the project to an undetermined future date.

The reconstruction of the Ryan Road Interchange may not be done in 2014 as planned. The state Department of Transportation recommended in its budget request to push back construction at the Ryan Road Interchange to an undetermined date in the future, DOT spokeswoman Emlynn Grisar said. Grisar didn't say why the DOT wants to delay the project. Oak Creek City Engineer Mike Simmons said the state's proposed budget shows less funding for I-94 work in the Milwaukee area in general, and the Ryan Road Interchange appears to be a casualty of that. State officials are still preparing the 2013-15 biennial budget proposal, so it's possible the project could be reinserted before the state Legislature approves a final version. Construction had been …

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