GRAEF: Recognized by Wisconsin Department of Transportation

Media Contact: Elizabeth Hummitzsch

414-390-5500, EHummitzsch@MuellerCommunications.com

Before and after pictures are available at http://tinyurl.com/GRAEFCapitolDr

East Capitol Drive project selected in 2012 Excellence in Highway Design Awards

MILWAUKEE – GRAEF, a Milwaukee-headquartered engineering and consulting firm, was recently selected as the winner of the 2012 Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) Excellence in Highway Design Awards in the Best Urban Design-Consultant category for their work on the reconstruction of State Highway 190 (East Capitol Drive).

In 2007, GRAEF was engaged by the Village of Shorewood to enhance the Capitol Drive corridor. GRAEF set out to create a modern, efficient roadway, while paying careful attention to safety, aesthetic issues and stakeholder concerns. The four-year, $12.5 million reconstruction project was complete in August 2011.

WisDOT selected GRAEF as the winner in the urban design-consult category based upon the project’s plan and contract quality, bidability and constructability, alignment and location, cost effectiveness, design complexity and community sensitivity.

“We are honored to be recognized by the Department of Transportation for this project,” said John Kissinger, CEO of GRAEF. “The redevelopment has given a much needed upgrade to Shorewood’s east-west corridor and I expect that the reconstructed corridor will be a great tool for the Village as they recruit new businesses and customers to the community.”

The corridor captures the uniquely warm and eclectic character that epitomizes the Village of Shorewood. An active citizenry was instrumental in shaping the ultimate design that includes bicycle and pedestrian features, environmentally friendly design elements, and a more effective and customer friendly thoroughfare.

“We have always prided ourselves on being problem solvers,” said Mary Beth Pettit, P.E. project manager for the reconstruction project. “We were in a unique situation, needing to meet the Village’s need for a modern, efficient and enhanced roadway, while staying true to the character of the area and the properties of residents and business owners that are located along the corridor.”

Perhaps most challenging was the impact of the July 2010 flood. During the flood, Shorewood saw a seven-inch rainstorm that washed out a portion of the riverbank between East Capitol Drive and the Milwaukee River. The deep gully, approximately 400 feet in length, required immediate action from the engineers at GRAEF. GRAEF’s quick action to secure slopes and stabilize the area resulted in only a minimal delay in the construction schedule.

“Ms. Pettit’s project management skills were instrumental in keeping this project on track,” said Leeann Butschlick, Director of Public Works for the Village of Shorewood. “It would be my great pleasure to work with GRAEF on future projects for the Village and I would absolutely recommend the GRAEF team to any organization seeking engineering services.”

Throughout the company’s 50-year history, GRAEF has worked on many of Milwaukee’s most recognized developments and attractions. Most recently, notable project have included the Milwaukee Art Museum addition, Harley Davidson Museum, Frontier Airlines Center, General Mitchell International Airport, Marcus Amphitheater, State Fair Exposition Center, Pettit National Ice Center, Bayshore Town Center, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Sandburg Hall Tower and the School of Architecture and Urban Planning.

About GRAEF

GRAEF is an employee-owned consulting engineering firm with offices in Milwaukee, Green Bay, and Madison, Wisconsin; Chicago, Illinois; and Orlando, Florida. The firm has been providing consulting services for 50 years.