Blog

Wisconsin’s Engineers Promote State’s Growth

Written by Leslie Blaize, Blaize Communications Engineers Week Feb. 16-22 We salute Wisconsin’s hard-working engineers. They take on complex problems and design effective solutions that improve the quality of life in every corner of the state. The American Council of Engineering Companies of... Continue Reading

Working Collaboratively to Improve Communities with Innovative Design

Written by: Troy Pankratz, PE, Mead & Hunt Once a small, rural community, regional population growth made the City of Fitchburg one of the fastest-growing cities in Wisconsin. Lacy Road had become a main thoroughfare through the city, but there was a problem—the road’s capacity... Continue Reading

Baraboo River Corridor Unites 11 Communities

Written by: Raine Gardner, PE, MSA Professional ServicesThe Baraboo River in south-central Wisconsin is the longest restored free-flowing river in America, with hopes to become nationally designated as such. Since the last of the dams were removed in the early 2000s, the river is on its way to... Continue Reading

‘Power of 10’ Transforms Empty Site to City’s ‘Front Porch’

Written by: Lisa Fleming, PE, Ayres Associates When the USH 53 bypass opened in 2006, the roadway divided four quadrants of undeveloped land from the bulk of the City of Altoona. For years the City worked to attract business to the four sectors. The southeast and northeast quadrants, the first... Continue Reading

Intersection Improvement Spurs Redevelopment

Written by: Jed Munroe, PE, JT Engineering The City of De Pere, with a population of just over 25,000, is virtually landlocked. With the help of an innovative design team, the City was able to gain access to an additional 20 acres of developable land, improving a dangerous, congested intersection... Continue Reading

Innovative Technologies Used for Marquette Interchange Rehab Minimize Impacts to Traveling Public

Written by Lindsay Kaufmann, PE; Michael Baker International Improving a Vital Interchange The Marquette Interchange is a major, high-volume roadway that serves many economic needs of the Milwaukee area, carrying more than 300,000 vehicles per day throughout the region. The original construction... Continue Reading

Perseverance and Flexibility Lead to Improved Water Supply for Elkhorn

Written by Douglas R. Snyder, PE, Baxter & Woodman Inc. Determining Water and Facility Needs Determining Water and Facility Needs The City of Elkhorn (City) prepared a water master plan for its system in the year 2000. This study identified the need to replace, or reconstruct, the Centralia... Continue Reading

Reconstructed Bridge Makes Grand Entrance into Popular, Picturesque Park

Written by Dan Sydow, PE, Ayres Associates How times change. How projects evolve. And how transforming the end result of those changes can be. Never was this more evident than with the City of Eau Claire’s Grand Avenue Half Moon Lake Bridge Replacement project – an upgrade like no... Continue Reading

Meister Cheese Company: A Tradition of Repurposing Waste

Written by Jane Carlson, P.E., ENV SP, of Strand Associates, Inc.Meister Cheese Company, a family-owned company that has called southwestern Wisconsin home since its establishment in 1916, has mastered the art of repurposing “waste” from its cheesemaking operations. For decades,... Continue Reading

Good Vibrations over Wisconsin’s Flambeau River

Written by Leah Rhodes, PE, MSA Professional Services As you drive into the City of Park Falls, you are greeted with a sign reading, “Welcome to Park Falls – Bridging Nature with Industry.” This hybrid of attractions has fueled the success of this small north-central Wisconsin... Continue Reading

Estabrook Dam Removal Marks Environmental, Financial Benefits to Community

Written by Rusty Schroedel, PE, AECOM Meeting strict environmental demands, saving taxpayer money and reducing flood risk to the community; the Estabrook dam removal project is a multifaceted success for the owner, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD), contractor, AECOM design team and... Continue Reading

Improving Safety and Quality of Underwater Bridge Inspections

Written by: Roy Forsyth, PE, CWI, C.H. and Mark Mutziger, PE; Collins Engineers Engineers are intimately aware that what is out of sight, cannot be out of mind. Bridges often have foundations in waterways. Even though they often cannot be visually seen, they need to support the bridge no matter if... Continue Reading