The section of this once-rural twolane roadway , from Racine Avenue to Moorland Road through Muskego , is now a bustling four-lane roadway – fresh with a new identity for the City shown through aesthetic roadway elements that light up the corridor day and night . The County ’ s goals also were met : less congestion for increasing levels of traffic and improved safety from reconfigured intersections , traffic signals , and a strengthened pavement structure .
Because of available federal funding the project was split into two . Phase 1 was 100 % County- and City-funded ; Phase 2 was split between federal and City / County funding and involved extensive coordination with WisDOT .
“ The project was executed almost without fault ,” said Gary Evans , manager of Waukesha County ’ s Highway Engineering Division .
“ We didn ’ t have any issues during construction , and everything was done within the timeframes we set , so ultimately the project was a great success .”
The reinvigorated roadway comes at a perfect time for Muskego , a Milwaukee suburb of about 24,400 people that celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2014 and was yearning for a chance to redefine its identity .
HELPING TO BRAND ‘ OUR DOWNTOWN ’
“ It ’ s our downtown . It ’ s our business district . It ’ s our main street into Muskego ,” said David Simpson , Muskego ’ s city engineer . “ We had been hoping for a long time to get that road reconstructed .”
Ayres Associates was the prime design consultant for the roadway reconstruction , utility upgrades , and associated improvements under a contract with the Waukesha County Department of Public Works . Engineering consultant GRAEF – under a separate contract with the City – designed the streetscape , landscape , and decorative lighting improvements , which added the finishing touches to Janesville Road .
Because the project involved many interested parties , collaboration was were critical for the project ’ s success .
“ The roles for each consultant were very definitive ,” said Kristine Anderson , Ayres Associates ’ project manager , “ and I think that ’ s what made it so successful , because it was such a highly collaborative project .”
Anderson said she ’ s pleased with the project ’ s outcome . “ Driving it is like a night-and-day difference ,” she said . “ The traffic flows pretty well ,
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