Reconstructing Milwaukee’s
image with the Marquette

By Gary Grunau

The reconstruction of the Marquette Inter-change in Milwaukee is upon us, and it would be an understatement to say it's a big deal.

It happened in Dallas, where the city termed a major regional interchange construction project the Big D. It happened in Albuquerque, N.M., where the reconstruction of two interstates crossing in the middle of the downtown district was coined the Big I. And now Milwaukee is ready to showcase the Big M.

So, is it possible to turn this roadblock into a happy detour? The Alliance for Downtown Parking and Transportation thinks so. The ADPT, created by the Downtown Management District of Milwaukee, has been working with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to turn this project into a positive for Milwaukee and the surrounding region.

And whether people see the reconstruction as a positive or negative, it's definitely a necessity. The interchange, created in 1968, handles 300,000 vehicles per day, which is twice its design load. It's crumbling and needs to be replaced. It is the most important transportation link in the state, with residents, tourists and commerce traveling in all directions. It truly is an interchange of state and national significance.

To avoid the usual "them vs. us" battle of transportation issues, the ADPT and WisDOT started meeting more than three years ago, early on in the Marquette planning stage. After much discussion, the two sides reached a consensus on entrance and exit ramps and on the schedule of the project. This by itself was a major miracle in today's world of intergovernmental and private viewpoints.

The previously unsafe interchange will become much safer and much more efficient with increased ramp sizes and only right-hand ramps. The architectural forms and colors will be much more pleasing than the previous concrete monolith, thanks to the community's involvement in the aesthetic review of all planning.

The project will cost more than $800 million, employ more than 1,000 people and create an economic impact of more than $2 billion. The project will accelerate this fall, with completion sche-duled for late 2008. All of the people in our community are committed to a goal of 25 percent disadvantaged-business-enterprise inclusion on the project. That commitment will result in more than $200 million of work awarded to DBE firms.

The project also will feature some very unique construction methods and will be almost a construction lab for travelers through the site.

Finally, and this is very important, the ADPT and other local groups (including Marquette University) will participate in the mitigation plan for the project starting this fall. Transit fairs, informational kiosks and media communication will be used to alert travelers about changing conditions during the build period.

The result will be a big improvement. It will be an interchange that will be safer, more efficient and more pleasing to the eye. It will take transportation into the 21st century and prove to everyone else what we already know: The Milwaukee region is a progressive, up-to-date community.

Gary Grunau is the senior vice president and regional manager of Milwaukee-based GPD|Gilbane, the north central regional office of Gilbane Building Company, a construction- management firm headquartered in Providence, R.I. He has played a pivotal role in the revitalization of Milwaukee through his involvement in projects such as the Milwaukee Theatre renovation and many more.