STH 32 Lake Drive Reconstruction
2026 Engineering Excellence State Finalist
Entering Firm: Benesch
Client: Wisconsin Department of Transportation
The STH 32 Lake Drive reconstruction carried significant community importance, with the roadway bordering a school, university building, place of worship, and a public park. The old roadway was deteriorating and did not include safe access for bikes and pedestrians.
Engineers redesigned a streetscape to give residents and users strong multimodal transportation options.
Benesch engineers delivered innovative solutions to complex challenges. The team abandoned the original staged construction plan and rebuilt the entire roadway in one go, maintaining continuous travel on an all-weather gravel surface. Residents collaborated with the project team to select an architecturally cohesive protected bike lane system. The new multimodal corridor also features narrowed driving lanes and reduced on-street parking while staying within the existing roadway footprint.
The team designed reinforced concrete pavement, protected bike lanes, pedestrian islands, upgraded lighting, new traffic signals, and enhanced stormwater infrastructure. These improvements emphasized safety, accessibility, and traffic calming. Clear communication with residents and businesses helped maintain access throughout construction.
Sustainability guided key decisions. When contaminated soils were discovered, the design was modified to reuse the material beneath new pavement, lowering hauling costs, and reducing environmental impacts. The completed corridor delivers safer travel, improved accessibility, and long-term neighborhood vitality.