STH 83 Resurfacing Project Earns ACEC-WI Engineering Excellence Award

WASHINGTON COUNTY, WI—The STH 83 Resurfacing Project has received an Engineering Excellence Award in the Small Projects category from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Wisconsin (ACEC-WI). The award recognizes the team’s innovative and cost-effective approach to restoring pavement conditions along a rural two-lane roadway in Washington County, which carries an average of 4,000 vehicles each day.

The corridor had been overlaid multiple times since its original construction in 1941 and was showing signs of distress. However, the base and subgrade remained in good condition. Rather than opting for a full reconstruction, the project team milled and replaced only the top two inches of asphalt—restoring a smooth surface while significantly reducing costs. Additional improvements included culvert repairs, drainage improvements and guardrail replacement.

Benesch served as the prime consultant to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, providing preliminary and final roadway design, environmental investigations, public involvement, utility coordination, culvert inspection and design, and PS&E. Benesch also managed subconsultants handling survey, Right-of-Way platting and specialty environmental services.

To inspect cross culverts in difficult-to-access, high-fill areas, the team deployed a remote-controlled camera-mounted rig. Several culverts were partially filled with debris, raising concerns about joint separation or collapse. The inspection confirmed the culverts were intact, saving more than $20,000 in unnecessary replacements and preventing the relocation of a raccoon family living inside one of the pipes.

The project team also addressed a deteriorating, unused cattle pass along the corridor. When nearby property owners expressed concerns about potential flooding if the structure were removed entirely, the project team conducted a detailed hydrologic and hydraulic analysis to determine an alternate solution. Instead of removing the pass, the project team partially demolished the existing structure, installed a new culvert and backfilled the void—providing a stable foundation for the roadway above and minimizing construction waste.

Completed ahead of schedule and under budget, the STH 83 Resurfacing Project delivers long-term improvements to this rural corridor. The project team accepted the award during the ACEC-WI Awards Banquet on May 2.