Phil Verville III , who later would become the lead roadway engineer of the project , was involved when the original interchange plans were shelved around 2013 .
When funding for the project was secured , “ we drew upon many of those original design ideas and then refreshed them ,” Verville said . “ We fine-tuned that original plan .”
That fine-tuning included conducting a thorough analysis of the geography of the area to determine the best site locations for the various aspects of the project , including the realignment of some local roads in the area of the new interchange . Original design plans also were updated to accommodate additions to the project that hadn ’ t been anticipated originally , such as the inclusion of retention ponds to control water runoff around the interchange and the extension of broadband internet service to rural areas near the site .
“ There were a lot of puzzle pieces ,” Verville said , “ and we had to make sure they all fit together .”
Cooperation key to securing federal funding
Collaboration among all stakeholders proved vital when it came to meeting the stringent application deadlines and requirements for the project to qualify for $ 19 million in funding through the U . S . Department of Transportation ’ s Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development ( BUILD ) program .
Ayres assisted Brown County throughout the detailed BUILD program application process , and the grant was approved in October 2018 . But the federal funds came with the requirement that all design and construction plans for the project be completed by May 2020 .
And pressure to meet the BUILD program ’ s “ condensed timelines ” extended beyond merely submitting an acceptable final project design , Verville said . Additional deadlines also applied to each stage of the construction process .
“ All of the parties involved worked really hard to meet those deadlines ,” Verville said . “ We all knew that failure wasn ’ t an option ,”
Project construction began in May 2021 , and on Sept . 28 , 2022 , a ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the official completion of the project , though some minor landscaping work remained to be done . During that ceremony , the cooperative nature of the project was the central theme .
The total cost of the Highway 29-Highway VV project – including design , construction , utilities , and real estate – was $ 25.4 million , with Brown County and the Villages of Howard and Hobart funding those aspects not covered by the $ 19 million BUILD grant .
The final project cost came within 0.5 % of what was originally bid by the contractor , Robillard said .
“ That speaks to the quality of our plans for the project ,” he said . “ To be that precise on a project with so many variables , we ’ re pretty proud of that .”
Ayres ’ involvement in the project included two full seasons of construction engineering . WisDOT led the construction services , and Ayres supplied three full-time construction staff members throughout the two years .
26 | TRENDS Ingenuity , Integrity , and Intelligence .