Six Wisconsin construction companies received DTSD Excellence in Construction Awards at the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s (WisDOT) annual Contractor-Engineer Conference held this week in Wisconsin Dells.
Top winners include an asphalt paving project in Winnebago County, a concrete paving project in Rock County, a grading project in Dane County, a small bridge project in Pierce County, a large bridge project in Clark County and a large contract project in Milwaukee County.
“The Excellence in Construction Awards highlight the dedication and expertise behind projects that strengthen Wisconsin’s transportation system,” WisDOT Secretary Kristina Boardman said. “For the past seven years in the Evers Administration, we’ve been empowered to make strategic investments in transportation in every county in Wisconsin. With more than 450 projects last year, we’re proudly improving our roads and bridges to help people travel safely, stay connected and enjoy a better quality of life statewide.”
“These awards recognize the teamwork and innovation that go into delivering high-quality transportation projects,” Brandon Lamers, director of WisDOT’s Bureau of Project Development, said. “Because of our teams and the extensive collaboration with industry partners, we can build safer infrastructure and stronger communities throughout Wisconsin.”
- Excellence in Asphalt Paving – Northeast Asphalt, located in Greenville, received the award for work on WIS 91, between Berlin and Oshkosh, in Winnebago County. This project resurfaced 14.5 miles, including 21 side road intersections and 165 driveways. The efficiency of the paving crews helped the project finish ahead of schedule and under budget.
- Excellence in Concrete Paving – Trierweiler Construction, based in Marshfield, received the award for work on US 51 (Center Avenue), from Nicolet Street to Court Street in Janesville, in Rock County. This project fully reconstructed just over a mile of the heavily traveled corridor with more than 120 residential and business properties adjacent to the highway. Throughout the project, the concrete paving contractor leveraged effective technologies like stringless slipform paving and GPS-guided joint layout to streamline paving operations and help make the project a success.
- Excellence in Grading – Mashuda Contractors, Inc., located in Princeton, received the award for work on County M, between County Q and WIS 113, in Dane County. This 2.5-mile project reconstructed and widened County M from two to four lanes. Grading operations were particularly demanding, involving excavations up to 20 feet deep. The contractor’s scheduling, strong partnership with WisDOT and traffic staging plans helped keep high volumes of commuter traffic moving while improving a vital route for Dane County residents.
- Excellence in Small Structures – Zenith Tech, located in Waukesha, received the award for the WIS 35 retaining wall between Pepin and Hager City in Pierce County. The retaining wall replaced a deteriorated stone wall with a concrete soil nail wall, while keeping the aesthetics of the original stone. The wall is located within feet of a historic building that is an active business, which provided unique challenges for the contractor and project team. The contractor’s technical skills and careful attention to detail made the project a great success.
- Excellence in Large Structures – Lunda Construction, based in Black River Falls, received the award for the County M bridge over the South Fork of the Eau Claire River in Clark County. This project replaced the existing three-span structure with a new seven span-bridge more than twice the length of the original structure. The contractor overcame weather challenges ranging from temperatures as low as 30 degrees below zero to spring flooding within inches of the new bridge. Throughout it all, the project team and contractor worked together to complete the project a month ahead of schedule.
- Large Contract – Hoffman Construction, located in Black River Falls, received the award for work on the I-43 North-South project, from Bender Drive to Brown Deer Road, in Milwaukee County. The project expanded the interstate in each direction and included new interchanges at Good Hope Road and Brown Deer Road. Using a forward-thinking approach to traffic staging and construction sequencing, the contractor was able to maintain a demanding schedule without adding costs or impacting project quality. This resulted in an impressive project completed on time and under budget.
Photos of the award-winning projects can be found on the WisDOT website​.
