Paving of the westbound lanes of W. Drexel Avenue on August 30.

The Drexel Avenue westbound travel lanes have been paved and two-way traffic (local access only) is now directed to travel on those paved lanes. Proceed cautiously as construction vehicles will be using these lanes as well as they continue on with the road work. Access will continue to be from the west (the 27th Street side) only through the remainder of the project in mid-November. Work is now underway on construction of the eastbound lanes, which should take about three weeks to complete. Other recent work in various stages of completion includes street lighting, box culverts, retaining wall and asphalt pathway along the north side of the road.

The DOT continues on with the adjacent interchange construction project. Their project manager reports that the concrete bridge deck will be poured over two non-consecutive nights within the next week. Three of the four interchange ramps have been constructed. The grading is about 90% complete and all storm sewer work is finished. Projected traffic opening of the interchange is mid-to-late November.

Ryan Horst from Strand Associates is the City’s onsite construction representative. He has a field office located at the northeast corner of 27th/Drexel and should be your first contact for construction questions/concerns. Ryan’s contact information is:

Ryan Horst
ryan.horst@strand.com
Phone: (414) 333-0284
Fax: (414) 755-0827

The contractor (Super Western, Inc.) has completed installation of the storm sewer. Two of the three large box culverts, and the north half of the third box culvert (under the Drexel westbound lanes), have been installed. Westbound travel lanes will begin to be paved in the next week or so and two-way traffic (local access only) will then temporarily run on that pavement as the contractor moves over and works on paving the eastbound lanes in late September. When school begins the buses will be able to make their designated student pick-ups and drop-offs by accessing from the 27th Street side only.

The DOT continues on with the adjacent interchange construction project. Their project manager reports that storm sewer and grading are about 80% complete; and that the center pier for the I-94 overpass bridge has been completed, work is progressing on the abutments, and girders will be installed early-to-mid September.

The contractor and the city’s onsite construction representative have been keeping traffic control and dust control a priority for the safety of local traffic that must travel through the construction zone.

Ryan Horst from Strand Associates is the City’s onsite construction representative. He has a field office located at the northeast corner of 27th/Drexel and should be your first contact for construction questions/concerns.

The contractor (Super Western, Inc.) is currently working on the installation of storm sewer on both the east and west ends of the project. The mid-section near the 20th street intersection is still under surcharged loading (the noticeable hump in the graveled roadway just west of 20th) as it approaches the specified initial settlement. Once the settlement is achieved work will begin on the storm sewer in that area and the large box culvert installations (one crossing Drexel and one crossing 20th), which is tentatively scheduled for early August.

The DOT is making steady progress on the adjacent interchange construction project. The box culvert under the interstate is being extended to accommodate the southbound I-94 on-ramp. The ramps have been built to rough grade and storm sewer installation continues. Pile driving for the overpass bridge abutments continues as well.

The contractor and the city’s onsite construction representative have been keeping traffic control and dust control a priority for the safety of local traffic that must travel through the construction zone.

Ryan Horst from Strand Associates is the City’s onsite construction representative. He has a field office located at the northeast corner of 27th/Drexel and should be your first contact for construction questions/concerns.

The contractor (Super Western, Inc.) is finishing up the subsurface stabilization system (rammed aggregate piers) early this week. This was a large and critical part of the project and entailed the installation of 3,600 “Geopiers”. The look of the project is changing fairly dramatically as load after load of crushed aggregate is installed upon the new road bed. Storm sewer construction continues on the west part of the project and the large detention pond has been completed south of the road.

The DOT is now well underway with the interchange construction. The bridge over the interstate was removed over this past weekend. All access to properties along Drexel Avenue and 20th Street will now be via the 27th Street side only. This will be the case until both the City’s road project and the DOT’s interchange project are complete in mid-to-late November. Note that this access from the west will be for local traffic only and will entail traversing through an active construction zone so acute caution (slow and attentive driving) must be exercised at all times. The contractor will be required to strictly maintain the traffic control and to control the dust as much as possible.

Ryan Horst from Strand Associates is the City’s onsite construction representative. He has a field office located at the northeast corner of 27th/Drexel and should be your first contact for construction questions/concerns.

The contractor (Super Western, Inc.) will be completing the first phase of the subsurface stabilization system (rammed aggregate piers) by May 25th. This first phase included the south half of the road through the low-lying area near 20th Street and to the west. By the 25th the contractor will already be underway excavating in preparation for the pier installations on the north side of the road.

Other recent work includes the channel realignment east of 20th Street, and the detention pond construction. All utility company relocations have now been completed; including electric, gas, cable TV and telephone.

The DOT will begin the interchange construction the week of May 21st. The contractor for that project will be the same as the City’s road project, Super Western, Inc. The bridge over I-94 will be removed starting the week of June 11th. By late May or early June all access will via the 27th Street side only, and that will be the case until both the City’s road project and the DOT’s interchange project are complete in mid-to-late November. Note that this access from the west will be for local traffic only and will entail traversing through an active construction zone so acute caution (slow and attentive driving) must be exercised at all times.

Ryan Horst from Strand Associates is the City’s onsite construction representative. He has a field office located at the northeast corner of 27th/Drexel and should be your first contact for construction questions/concerns.

Mainline Sewer & Water, Inc. is the contractor performing the sewer and water main work. They anticipate finishing up their work by the end of next week (by March 24), with much of the remaining work taking place in the vicinity of Drexel/20th.

Super Western, Inc. is the prime contractor for the road reconstruction project. They have begun the tree clearing work this week, primarily in the area south and west of Drexel/20th. They will also begin excavating/reshaping the channel south and east of Drexel/20th, then they will start constructing the subsurface stabilization system (rammed aggregate piers), which is a critical component of the road bed that will continue on until mid-June.

Crews have recently completed relocating overhead electric cables, telephone cables will follow in early April, and cable TV should be complete in late April. Buried gas main relocation work will take place in late April.

The intersection of Drexel/20th has been a traffic bottleneck and unfortunately will continue to be so periodically throughout the project as there is a considerable amount of work entailing several utility relocations, storm water structures, subsurface stabilization and paving concentrated in that relatively tight area. The construction crews are aware that they are to accommodate local traffic as much as they can to minimize delays and keep passage safe, and onsite City inspectors are placing a priority on safe access at this intersection.

Traffic access will remain to be only from the east through all of the above listed work.