Project Overview
raSmith, under a joint venture with DAAR Engineering, Inc., provided preliminary and final design engineering services for the $135 million replacement of the I-39/90/94 bridges and approaches over the Wisconsin River. The existing 60-year-old structures were deteriorating and in need of replacement. This modernization project included approximately two miles of realigned I-39/90/94 along with the reconstruction and realignment of approximately one mile of the County U and County V freeway overpasses. raSmith’s services also included: roadway design, coordination with the Bureau of Structures for the design of 10 structures (bridges, retaining walls, and a box culvert extension), field survey and laser scanning, drainage analysis, plat preparation, utility coordination, 10 structure survey reports, stakeholder coordination, public involvement, extensive environmental coordination and permitting, and PS&E preparation.
Environmental commitments required the design team to develop a staging scheme for maintaining three travel lanes in each direction during construction. Multiple alignments for the new bridges and approaches were evaluated to avoid large high-voltage transmission lines and limit impacts to sensitive environmental resources.
Maintaining travel lanes during construction required the design team to develop innovative and complex multi-year traffic control and staging plans involving five main stages with eight substages. Key details in the project plans and special provisions included developing contractor access points and material staging areas, maintaining waterway traffic, and protecting sensitive environmental resources and aquatic species while limiting river disturbance.
Finally, a multifaceted Transportation Management Plan (TMP) was developed that documented traffic crossovers, off-peak lane closures, nighttime rolling and directional closures, temporary widening, and local roadway closures with interim completion dates. This project is currently under construction.
Project Gallery
