Capps said.
The importance of communication extends to the
thousands of people whose daily lives are affected by the
reconstruction. The City of Madison and WisDOT
encouraged public involvement before and during
construction of each segment, holding numerous planning
meetings to gather input from concerned residents and
businesses. Phillips said the public has “higher expectations
than ever” when it comes to being kept informed.
During construction, part of Ayres Associates’ role was
to keep residents and businesses apprised of project
developments through a project website, neighborhood
mailers, door-to-door contact, frequent meetings with
businesses, and weekly email updates.
Staff at Simonson Water Heaters, located near the East
Washington Avenue and State Trunk Highway 30
interchange, make deliveries – and use the roadway –
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constantly. Understandably, Jeff Simonson, company
president, had concerns about delays and access to his
business. When reconstruction of curbing and street was
occurring in front of Simonson Water Heaters, Simonson
and Ayres Associates “were able to work out a compromise,”
he said, which left access to his business uninterrupted.
And Simonson added, “The redesign has made things
better for traffic control for the entire area.”
Top left photo: Portion of the project area just before concrete
paving operations. Bottom left photo: Four lanes of roadway
were kept open to traffic throughout the five-year project.
Middle photo: Underside of bridge replacement over the
Yahara River used by pedestrians and bicyclists, part of the
reconstruction project. Right photo: A backhoe digs in,
making progress on the project.
Good communication also means residents know how
to respond to problems. When Randy Glysch, president of
the Carpenter-Ridgeway Neighborhood Association, and
his neighbors had concerns about a barricaded intersection
that prevented residents from entering the avenue, he knew
just what to do. “We contacted Kim Ballweg,” he said,
“and the problem was addressed and remedied the next day.”
Immediate and effective responsiveness can prevent
what WisDOT project development supervisor Jeffrey
Gust, PE, called “big blow-ups that take up a ton of time.”
He said, “If you have poor communication, especially with
the public, they’ll go up the line and contact their legislators
or the media.”
Gust emphasized that a vigorous communication flow
ultimately keeps a project moving forward – swiftly. In
fact, he calculated that the five stages of the East
Washington Avenue project “were each about two years’
worth of work shoe-horned into one,” and he shared an
image emblematic of that productivity: He once drove
through a mile stretch of the project area and saw 26
backhoes working at once.
“Now that reconstruction is complete,” said Phillips
from the City, “people traveling on East Washington
Avenue have a much better driving experience than prior
to the project.” He also pointed to the reduction in street
flooding, safer pedestrian accommodations, and the
aesthetic improvements that tie the entire corridor together.
Phillips said that enthusiasm for the revitalized street can
be seen in the surge of interest in property development
along East Washington Avenue and neighborhood
improvement initiatives. These are welcome outcomes,
though hardly surprises.
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