STH 47 in the Town of Center, Outagamie County, is a busy highway for the traveling public entering Appleton, WI. Northeast Asphalt (NEA) was awarded this 13.2-mile project on June 2, 2022, with work beginning on July 11, 2022. NEA’s work concluded on October 13, 2022.
Roadway reconstruction began with milling 4″ of the existing asphalt pavement and widening the existing paved shoulders from 3 feet to 5 feet. A 4″ hot mix asphalt (HMA) overlay completed the roadway.
This project also included the installation of a new box culvert in the Town of Center across STH 47, with existing culvert pipe crossings replaced and lined throughout the project. Subcontract partners repaired the curb and gutter, and sidewalk in various locations. The project concluded with new gravel shoulders and pavement markings.
Challenges & Solutions
This project had a quick turnaround time from project award to start. Materials came from a portable asphalt plant near the job site to meet the tight timeline and ensure the project and plant remained on schedule.
The NEA team worked closely with WisDOT and subcontractors to expedite material acquisitions to complete the culvert work while minimizing the impact on the traveling public. With one milling crew and two paving crews on the project, the crews maximized productivity, completing the project ahead of schedule.
This project met quality goals with an excellent IRI ride (International Roughness Index) and PWL (Percent Within Limits) densities achieved using an HMA binder layer and a warm mix asphalt (WMA) surface layer.
