“ The huge issue to me was the avoidance of utility conflicts ,” he said , " because they can really mess up a project . This project was completed with little to no utility conflicts . Considering the number of utilities that had to be moved , that was significant .”
STREETSCAPING ADDS PIZAZZ
Erik Schmitt , GRAEF ’ s project manager for the streetscaping work , said he enjoyed having a clear footprint while working with Muskego officials to portray its new identity through landscaping and other amenities .
As one of the first major roadway reconstruction projects within the City , the project presented a unique opportunity to reinvent Muskego as a contemporary lake community with a rejuvenated identity that embraces the character of the local lakes and is more reflective of the increased population density .
The streetscaping work was categorized into three distinct types : the intensely streetscaped “ Commercial District ;” mid-level enhancements of the “ Market District ,” home to secondary retail and office developments ; and the “ Parkway District ,” which focuses primarily on street trees and softscaping in residential areas .
“ From the nature of what the roadway was and what it became , it was a total transformation ,” Schmitt said . “ It ’ s like two different worlds . … It sort of sets the standards for development and improvements as they move forward . This was the first big initial project , and where it goes from here , the road map is laid out for them .”
Evans said even with multiple stakeholders , utility relocations , complexity of construction staging , and other project challenges , the engineering design plans – from preliminary concepts to the accuracy of construction documents – were nearly flawless , which led to a successful finished project .
“ Plan quality is almost always a reflection of change orders , and the change orders were very low , which means Ayres Associates did a great job ,” Evans said . “ All around , the quality we got from Ayres was very good . From a capacity standpoint , the road is way better than it used to be , and that was our main reason to do the project . And the businesses and City of Muskego love it .”
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