87th Street Reconstruction
2022 Engineering Excellence Best of State
Entering Firm: GRAEF
Client: Milwaukee Regional Medical Center
The Milwaukee Regional Medical Center (MRMC) is southeast Wisconsin’s most important medical hub. Its Level 1 facilities are nationally-recognized for the level of care they can provide and the facilities cover both adults and children. The 19,000 employees that travel in and out daily combine with 1.5 million patients and visitors yearly to create a traffic nightmare. The old 87th Street could not cope with the constant and increasing demand.
Designing with Health and Safety in Mind
GRAEF took on the challenge of designing a modern entrance to MRMC. The design is based on a model which prioritizes safe bicycle and pedestrian accommodations. In addition to reliving car traffic pressure by providing alternative ways to get to the campus, it aligns with MRMC’s vision of better health for the region. The team knew that maintaining access during construction was critical. They staged construction so that the road was always open even through extended delays.
Awards judge Jake Ehmke said, “The 87th Street Reconstruction project addressed many challenging aspects through the project delivery process. It also completed construction of the improvements while preventing utility service shutdowns to the Medical College due to its status as SE Wisconsin’s only Level I Adult/Pediatric Trauma Center. I was impressed by the consultant team’s attention to detail.”
Keep Wisconsin Healthy and Moving
The design creates a safer and more efficient roadway for all users. The new 87th Street provides first class transportation to MRMC so that its facilities can continue to provide first class medical service to southeast Wisconsin.
