The 87th Street Realignment and Reconstruction project for the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center (MRMC) was undertaken to improve roadway conditions and meet increased traffic demands. Cotter provided Owner’s Consultant services for the project, which spanned 87th Street between Wisconsin Avenue and Watertown Plank Road. The project included significant water system and utility realignments, relocation, and coordination. City leaders and MRMC staff emphasized the importance of the new “complete street” in the area. A complete street is different from a traditional, car-centric roadway. It prioritizes the safety and mobility of all users. In this case, it includes separated bike lanes, sidewalks for pedestrians, and lanes for cars and transit vehicles that make it safer for emergency vehicles too.

The 0.6-mile project consists of a mill and overlay of the existing asphalt pavement in certain areas with a new roadbed and wear surface for the balance of the project. The reconfiguration replaced the existing concrete gutter with curb and gutter, access management of existing parking lot and building entrances, as well as bike lanes, pedestrian improvements to sidewalks, pedestrian signals, and pedestrian crossings.

Cotter coordinated all project matters as the principal point of contact and liaison between the consultants, contractor, approval agencies, and other vendors. One of the biggest challenges faced during the completion of roadway construction was the complicated coordination among additional MRMC campus construction projects. WE Energies worked in the same footprint as the 87th Street Realignment Contractor. Two new duct packages were installed under the new bike lane as part of this project. Cotter’s direct communication between all entities and stakeholders played a key role in minimizing issues among other campus projects.