Milwaukee County has provided an update on the Beech Street pedestrian bridge, which was removed this spring after officials deemed it unsafe.
The headline: The bridge over Oak Creek is excepted to reopen the week of December 21, about a month behind schedule.
Here is a quick rundown of expected activities in the next six weeks, provided by the county …
- Caisson and abutment contractor mobilize: Week of Nov. 9
- Bridge shop drawings from bridge supplier: Nov. 11
- Review and approve shop drawings (assumes no resubmittal needed): Nov 13
- Caisson and abutment construction complete: Dec. 4
- Complete grading for bridge approaches (crushed stone surface): Week of Dec. 7
- Current bridge delivery schedule: Dec. 18
- Set bridge: Week of Dec. 21 (bridge open for use)
- Pave asphalt approaches: Spring 2016
I thank the county for their continued work on this, and I appreciate your patience. With funding approved on July 16, I am glad to see work will still be substantially complete before the dead of winter sets in. This is an important connection for a number of residents and our schools, as well as recreational users of the Oak Creek Parkway, me included.
The good news: Once this is done, we should have a bridge built for the long term, another in a line of significant recent investments in the Oak Creek watershed and our local parks.
I think it will be well worth the wait.
South Milwaukee Blog 
HA!!! Based on the schedule listed, they have done NOTHING to date!!! We heard from elected officials that this was being put on a “fast tracked” schedule and we were told by all that the bridge would be installed by November 15th!!!!
Actually, a lot has been happening, and I am satisfied with the pace of the work. This is not a small construction project. I didn’t include the entire list of “completed” parts of this project, for space reasons. But here is the list provided by the county, to answer your concern …
Completed:
· Funding approved: July 16, 2015
· Request for proposal for design services (went to single consultant who had performed inspection of old bridge to expedite process): July 17, 2015
· Proposal received: July 31, revised Aug 6, 2015
· Sign off of DBE participation and selection of consultant completed: Aug 18, 2015
· Notice to proceed issued to consultant: Aug 19, 2015
· Consultant performed soil borings: Aug 25, 2015
· Procurement issued request for bids for bridge (multiple sized bridges included in bid to allow for selection of correct size when determined): Sept 10, 2015
· Consultant completed sizing bridge to span the 100-year flood plain (92’ bridge): Sept 10, 2015
· Procurement received bids for bridge: Oct 5, 2015
· Requested T&M proposal for caissons and abutments (using preliminary plans): Oct 19, 2015
· Purchase Order issued to low bidder for bridge: Oct 21, 2015
· Received T&M cost proposal for caissons and abutments: Oct 27, 2015
· Final bridge plans completed: Oct 27, 2015
· Bridge permit application submitted to WDNR: Oct 28, 2015
· Processing award of T&M contract for caissons and abutments: Oct 30, 2015
Just walked up to check out the progress on the new bridge and they actually have the bridge on site. It sure will be a big improvement over the old one, being about twice as long, and all aluminum. Really will give a nice modern look whenever the concrete work is done and it can be set in place.