Trends Fall 2014 | Page 12

US Highway 41 , Northeast Wisconsin

US Highway 41 , Northeast Wisconsin

A little past the halfway point of the massive upgrade of US 41 in Brown County , those traveling on the City of Green Bay ’ s west side must wonder if bulldozers , cranes , and orange barrels have become a permanent part of the landscape .
Construction on the busy 14-mile north-south stretch of road began in 2010 . But a light at the end of the tunnel does exist . The Wisconsin Department of Transportation ( WisDOT ) says the work should be complete by spring 2017 .
Behind all the madness of a construction zone this size , a method is in place . Construction engineers are on site , inspecting the work and communicating with contractors and clients to make sure everything goes according to plan .
Michael King , US 41 construction supervisor for WisDOT , said he relies heavily on the construction inspection engineers on site .
Inspections required climbing into tub girders . Page 16 .
“ They are the key cog in finding small issues in the field and getting them addressed right away ,” King said . “ Their role is really twofold . No . 1 is the construction inspection , and it ’ s a critical task , making sure everything is done correctly . It ’ s critical for the inspector to ensure the end product is going to give you the life span that we ’ re expecting from the job we ’ re constructing .”
In this case the state is expecting this construction to outlive most everyone reading this – at least 75 years , King said .
“ The other important role is just to be always on alert for unsafe situations – hazards for motorists and workers ,” said King , who has been working on US 41 since 2008 .
Eric Gwidt , US 41 construction project manager for WisDOT , referred to construction inspection engineers as WisDOT ’ s eyes and ears in the field .
“ Their job is essential to making sure our projects are built according to our plans and specifications ,” he said . “ Every day , we rely on them to work with the contractor to resolve issues and keep the project on schedule .”

1.8 Million

Square Yards of Concrete Pavement

30,400

Shrubs and Plants

84

Bridge Structures

$ 1.005

Billion Budget

6.8 Million

Cubic Yards of Excavation

Brown County U . S . Highway

41

By the Numbers

Source : Wisconsin Department of Transportation

3.4 Million

Tons of Base

337,000

Tons of Asphalt

90

Retaining Walls

4,100

Trees

115,000

Annual Average Daily Traffic ( Projected 2035 )
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