The American Council of Engineering Companies of Wisconsin on Friday used its Engineering Excellence Awards program to recognize two Ayres transportation projects that improved lives from the southeast to northwest corners of the state.

The USH 53/USH 63 Trego Interchange project won a Best of State Award, and the Racine West 6^th Street Bridge project won a State Finalist Award. Here’s a quick look at what made these projects special.

More Than Just an Interchange

As traffic volumes along USH 53 increased, the safety at two offset at-grade intersections of the four-lane highway with USH 63 and CTH “E” southwest of Hayward came into question. The answer was a full-service interchange project in which Ayres provided roadway design and coordinated with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s bridge designers.

It was not practical to fit the interchange into the existing intersection locations, so the project ultimately involved rerouting USH 63 to intersect with USH 53 about a half-mile south of the existing USH 63 intersection.

The project in Washburn County required the reconstruction of about 1 mile of USH 53 and the reconfiguration of several local roads around the interchange, including the realignment of CTH “E” and construction of new service roads parallel to USH 53.

What makes such an engineering endeavor go smoothly is extensive public outreach and governmental coordination. The complex project required residential and business relocations; access modifications; the excavation of contaminated soils; and impacts on wetlands, a railroad, and the Wild Rivers State Trail and other public lands. Designers added value to the project and accommodated businesses in many ways, including a snowmobile/ATV crossing near Mackey Road, a sidewalk on the north side of the bridge carrying USH 63 over USH 53, and expanding parking at a Wild River State Trail head.

Historic Bridge Ready for the Future

Replacing a distinctive 94-year-old bridge is no simple matter. The City of Racine entrusted Ayres with the design of a new West 6^th Street Bridge that did not throw away the past as it looked to the future. The resulting project safely accommodates multiple modes of transportation on the bridge, vastly improves the experience of those traveling along the riverside greenspace under the bridge, and preserves key visual elements of the 1928 bridge.

The beloved landmark was a 161-foot-long combination open spandrel concrete arch structure. The primary alternative considered for the replacement was a two-span concrete bridge, but incorporating historically inspired aesthetic treatments was important to the City. Decorative elements that resemble the original bridge’s terra cotta and tile mosaic treatments fulfilled this desire, as did arched precast fascia that emulate the early 20th century bridge’s shape.

Sidewalks and on-road bicycle accommodations were also incorporated into the project along West 6th Street, whose four-lane motorized traffic pattern was reduced to two lanes to make way for bikes and pedestrians. The design didn’t just reshape things for those traveling atop the bridge, but also for motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians traveling under the bridge along the Root River. The design improved vertical clearance for Horlick Drive as it passes under West 6th Street, and it provided adequate width to accommodate the Root River Pathway for non-motorized travel. The old bridge’s pier had been a solid mass of concrete and blocked out light and the view of the river, but now it is more open to restore natural light and a scenic view for those traveling under the bridge.