Marquette Interchange makeover

Rebuilding the Marquette Interchange in Milwaukee without crippling traffic takes planning and timing.

by Clair D. Urbain

As the North Leg of the project nears completion, the project is on time and on budget.

The ability to move hundreds of thousands of cars a day along the west shore of Lake Michigan and in the heart of Milwaukee proves the Marquette Interchange is definitely the lifeline of Milwaukee’s – and all of Southeast Wisconsin’s —transportation system. As the busiest transportation hub in Wisconsin, it funnels traffic into and out of Milwaukee, to and from Chicago and other points in Illinois to the south, Green Bay and other points to the north, and southcentral Wisconsin and the upper Midwest to the west.

However, ever-increasing traffic on the 40-year-old interchange has outgrown it and the ravages of time and travel have simply worn it out.

In 2002, officials at the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) proposed an interchange modernization that would cost $810 million and, without proper planning and execution, could cripple businesses and commuters throughout the western edge of Lake Michigan.

Strategic location
The Marquette Interchange lies smack-dab in the middle of Milwaukee’s regentrifying downtown area. Built in the late ’60s, it’s where I-794, I-43 and I-94 converge. Its original design was built to handle 150,000 vehicles a day.

WisDOT officials estimate traffic flows at more than 300,000 vehicles a day, with traffic projected to grow to 375,000 vehicles a day within the next 20 years.

The project has a 2008 total completion date. It is divided into five sections and the work on the first sections that began in early 2004 will be completed in late 2006. The reconstruction of the North Leg is being completed by Walsh Construction’s Chicago Heavy Highway Group, reports Paul Bentley, assistant project manager.

“The Marquette Interchange North Leg is a $102 million portion of the total $810 million project. It’s a 26-month project that started in October 2004 and will finish in November 2006. The project is approximately 85 percent complete and is on schedule,” he says.

The North Leg runs from Wells Street overpass to the North Avenue exit. It is the total reconstruction of the I-43 north and south lanes plus ramps, bridges and other infrastructure such as retaining walls and water and sewer lines. The 1.5 miles of interstate highway it covers vary between three and four lanes, with elevations changed to improve visibility and traffic flow.

Non-linear project
“This particular project is not very linear in nature,” says Bentley. “Keeping at least two traffic lanes open in each direction while removing and replacing retaining walls, bridges, water and sewer lines and building and grading the new roadbed and ramps meant we had to schedule work differently. You cannot simply start at one end of the project and work toward the other end. The staging requires you to be in several places at once,” he says.

“We have this job organized in three basic divisions: structures, earthwork and roadway. We divide it that way and each type has its own manager who controls the subcontractors working on that aspect of the project. However, we act as a unit.

“Every day, there is a scheduling meeting with Walsh and its subcontractors to talk about the next day’s work activities and upcoming major schedule events,” he says.

“The phasing of construction for staging is very structurally driven. The 75,000 linear ft. of secant pile drilling required drilling 36"- to 60"-diameter pilings from 15' to 80' deep. We drill two primary shafts and then drill a secondary shaft between them to form the secant design of the retaining wall. This had to be completed in many areas before roadwork began.

Varied soil conditions
“The soil conditions vary greatly in this 1.5-mile segment. It goes from solid clay to sand and it’s very sporadic over the job and, in many areas, the water table is high.

“All of the secant pile drilling has been completed. Due to the cost of the drilling equipment, we were able to leverage its time by moving it into certain areas earlier to help meet our project deadline,” he says.

Pre-cast concrete panels or cast-in-place concrete walls are installed over the secant pile retaining wall system to improve its visual appeal. This is an important part of this project because it puts a new look on this post-industrial city.

Friezes add interest
On bridge overpasses and exit and entrance ramps, larger-than-life friezes depict the working heritage of Milwaukee. The design also requires decorative reveal lines in the concrete walls that cover the secant walls as well as into edges of overhead sign foundations and bridge supports. The reveal lines are added with block-out sections that are attached to the forming system. The friezes and concrete walls will be stained a warm golden color to brighten the new concrete canyons that bisect the city.

The North Leg project features nine bridges that had to be demolished and rebuilt. Throughout the project, lanes are being added, ramps are reconfigured and elevations are being adjusted for greater visibility and traffic flow.

“We are moving approximately 850,000 cu. yd. of total earth to get the new roadbed on the North Leg to the proper elevation. In some areas, the road elevation has changed by as much as 20'. There are new ramp systems that replace old ones, each offering right-hand exits, longer acceleration and deceleration lanes and smoother curves to promote the flow of traffic. Walsh has 43 subcontractors on this project and coordination is needed to keep this on track.

“The removal of the Milwaukee County Court House Annex parking structure was a new twist to our schedule. With the removal of the parking structure, the DOT added an additional lane that was not originally part of the contract. This created some new scheduling challenges, but we were able to reshuffle to allow for work to meet the scheduled completion date. Since we control both jobs, we can control the schedule better ourselves,” he says.

Final demolition of the annex was briefly delayed when four gulls began nesting on a portion of the structure in May. Permission from federal authorities allowed demolition to proceed.

The existing roadbed is being replaced with asphalt laid over an aggregate sub-base. “Some of the aggregate will come from concrete salvaged from the parking structure demolition,” Bentley says.

Insurance approach
This is an owner-controlled insurance program (OCIP) project, says Bentley, which provides insurance coverage for the project rather than the contractor providing its own insurance package.
“It is an interesting process. Every worker on the site has to attend a mandatory safety orientation and complete a drug screening before being allowed on the site,” he says.

Traffic moves on
Compared with other metropolitan areas, traffic continues to flow well through the interchange during rush hour, even as it’s being squeezed into two lanes and while entrance and exit ramps and bridges are being rebuilt.

Published in the July/August 2006 issue of Contractor Tools and Supplies magazine.

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