Legacy - Volume 3, Number 2 - (Page 3)

Client Spotlight (From left to right): Wisconsin Department of Transportation secretary Frank Busalacchi, and CTE’s Tom Hessling and A.J. Catalanotte make a site visit to the Marquette Interchange’s core. nication, as well as respect for those who drive on and through the interchange. “Our chief concern is to improve the interchange while having as little impact on the businesses and activities around it as possible,” says CTE project manager Tom Hessling, P .E. Frank Busalacchi, secretary of Wisconsin’s Department of Transportation (WisDOT), is regularly in the trenches with his team. “From the outset, I didn’t want this project to hurt business,” he says. “Concerts, shopping, lakefront events, the Milwaukee Bucks—they’re all tied to the interchange. Remarkably, business has thrived.” Busalacchi’s vision for harmony is orchestrated by Hessling and CTE deputy project manager A.J. Catalanotte, P Their expertise in .E. megaproject management has enabled the firm to work at an accelerated pace. Hessling and Catalanotte are successfully implementing numerous innovations, such as experimental stainless steel bars, lightweight fill and high-density bridge deck concrete. Housing WisDOT and CTE project staff under the same roof is another innovation. With this unique arrangement, Hessling, Catalanotte and Busalacchi have managed to balance the inter- ests of WisDOT, CTE and a bevy of stakeholders, while providing open communication channels. “We’ve centralized everything,” adds Busalacchi. “If there’s an issue, those involved can talk it out together.” With early openings of key roadways, ramps and bridges, the entire project is ahead of schedule and under budget, meaning broader, safer access to the city’s most popular venues sooner than anticipated. “People who were skeptical are now standing up for this job,” says Busalacchi. That includes Marquette University, one of the interchange’s major tenants, and its president, Reverend Robert A. Wild, S.J. The Wisconsin Avenue Bridge provides passage for hundreds of students walking over the interchange to the campus, and its reconstruction gave the team one of its greatest challenges. “Pedestrian safety, access, noise, dust and land loss were our biggest concerns before the project began. WisDOT and CTE were impressively proactive in preventing problems,” says Father Wild. “They worked with our university’s Facilities Services and Office of Public Safety and created a well-lit, unobstructed and monitored alternative pathway for students to get to campus.” Father Wild and his staff are pleased to have played essential roles in the process. “As key stakeholders, we worked collaboratively with WisDOT and CTE,” he says. “This spirit of cooperation proved to be a very successful formula, and the dynamic should be a consideration for all road construction projects.” The Marquette Interchange’s reconstruction began in 2004; CTE’s involvement with the core section kicked off in August 2005. The interchange is set for a November 2008 completion date. As Busalacchi surveys the bustling nexus of the interchange, he is proud of the work and quick to share the praise. Letting $100 million in Disadvantaged Business Enterprise contracts, and preparing for a tour by Minnesota’s Department of Transportation, Busalacchi believes the Marquette Interchange is a national model. “Very few megaprojects are truly on time, on budget and include such solid community involvement,” he says. “CTE has done a remarkable job, bringing together the DOT staff, contractors, consultants and the design team. Sometimes, that’s where it all falls apart. But, CTE is tackling the project just like our slogan says—‘Change your approach, not your destination.’” L Legacy—VOLUME 3: NUMBER 2, 2008 03

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Legacy - Volume 3, Number 2

Legacy - Volume 3, Number 2 Contents In the Zone Gaining Altitude Six to Go: Planning Projects Promise Increased Mobility Women's Development Forum On the Move in the Southeast Protecting the World's Future Making the Grade Coming to America A Dedication to Development Looking to the Skies Spotlight on People and Projects An Aviation Innovation

Legacy - Volume 3, Number 2

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