WisDOT: Announces excellence in construction awards

For more information, contact:

Don Greuel, WisDOT Bureau of Project Development

(608) 267-7774, donald.greuel@dot.wi.gov

Projects honored in Dane, Fond du Lac, Winnebago, Marathon, Buffalo and Columbia counties

A grading project in Winnebago County, an asphalt paving project in Marathon County, a concrete project in Dane County, a small bridge construction project in Fond du Lac County and a large bridge project in Buffalo County were recognized as winners of the annual Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) Construction Awards. A Special Recognition Award for work on two recently-renovated rest areas along I-39/90/94 near Portage was also announced during the 2011 Contractor-Engineer Conference in Madison on January 19.

“Wisconsin is fortunate to have a deep and talented pool of contractors and engineers who do outstanding work on transportation projects across the state,” said WisDOT project development director Don Miller, who presented the awards. “We’re very proud of all our private sector partners, but after careful consideration, we believe these award-winners represent the best of the best projects completed last year.”

The Excellence in Grading Award went to Hoffman Construction Company of Black River Falls for work on the US 41 project in Winnebago County. The $15.3 million, 1.1-mile project was completed on-time and ahead of budget, and required a pro-active approach to erosion control featuring extra heavy rip-rap to protect Lake Butte des Morts.

The Excellence in Asphalt Paving Award went to American Asphalt of Wisconsin in Mosinee for work on WIS 29 in Marathon County. The $6 million, 3.5-mile project included pulverizing existing pavement and replacing it with three layers of 58,000 tons of warranted asphalt pavement, all while keeping the highway open to traffic. The contractor used a specialized transfer machine that allowed continuous paving and a uniform paver speed resulting in an extremely smooth riding surface.

The Excellence in Concrete Paving Award was given to Trierweiler Construction and Supply Company, Inc. of Marshfield for its work on Monona Drive in Dane County. The $8.6 million project is a four-lane urban roadway carrying some 32,000 vehicles per day that serves as the “gateway” to the city of Monona. The project required the total reconstruction of water and sewer mains, while maintaining business access throughout construction.

The Excellence in Small Structures Award was presented to Pheifer Brothers Construction Company, Inc. of Neenah for its work on the Grove Street Bridge and approaches in the city of Fond du Lac. The $670,000 project included unique aesthetic features to the bridge’s parapet and wing walls that were hand-stained to resemble limestone aggregate found in the area. With the help of subcontractors working extra hours, the project was completed within budget and opened to traffic nearly a week ahead of schedule.

The Excellence in Large Structures Award went to Lunda Construction Company of Black River Falls for work on the WIS 25 bridge connecting Nelson, WI and Wabasha, MN. The $12.5 million project replaced three WIS 25 bridges located in the Nelson-Trevino Bottoms State Natural Area. Several innovative procedures, including pre-cast abutments and pier caps, along with a specially-designed template for pile driving, helped reduce the overall construction period, minimized environmental impacts, and prolonged the life of the bridges.

Michels Paving, a division of Michels Corporation of Brownsville, WI, received a Special Recognition Award for a $22 million project for improvements to two rest areas along I-39/90/94 near Portage. The multi-year project involved coordinating 21 subcontractors and over 1,000 workers, while keeping the facilities open for use by the traveling public. The buildings, constructed by Scherrer Construction Company, Inc. of Burlington, feature an open, “prairie style” architecture.