Trends Summer 2020 | Page 32

The Wisconsin Chapter of the American Public Works Association named the Ayres-designed North Webster Avenue Reconstruction project in Green Bay a 2020 Project of the Year .
‘ Gateway into the City ’
“ This is a principal gateway into the City ,” said Steve Grenier , Green Bay Director of Public Works . “ The completion of this project is going to help drive revitalization of one of the oldest neighborhoods in Green Bay .”
Road surface and utility replacements and upgrades are not uncommon . What made the 0.84-mile North Webster Avenue project remarkable was the high price tag it carried and the City ’ s approach to improved stormwater management along the route , an approach that required substantial real estate acquisition and close coordination with a railroad – all on a very tight schedule .
In the early history of Green Bay , North Webster Avenue was just a residential street . Through the years it evolved into a busy four-lane corridor connecting the growing interstate system to the center of the city . During the establishment of the neighborhood , a railroad was built to serve the industrial area , crossing North Webster Avenue between the two lanes of Eastman Avenue . In more recent history , the Federal Emergency Management Agency ( FEMA ) determined that portions of the corridor were in the 100-year floodplain .
Storm sewer drainage pipes in the area flowed to an undersized storm sewer
32 | TRENDS Ingenuity , Integrity , and Intelligence .