Clairemont Avenue construction finished
Multiple improvements made during $12.4 million project
McLean Bennett
Issue date: 11/13/08 Section: News
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The project, which cost an estimated $12.4 million, included reconstruction of the highway between London and Craig roads, an expansion of the State Street bridge, construction of a retaining wall along Clairemont Avenue, improvements to the Menomonie Street-Clairemont Avenue intersection and landscaping on the highway's medians.
Workers on the project also lengthened the pedestrian underpass near Memorial High School and constructed a stretch of bike trail along Clairemont Avenue.
The highway "was in deep need of being fixed," said Chris Ouellette, communications manager for the state Department of Transportation's Northwest Region. The DOT managed the project along Clairemont, a state highway.
"Clairemont Avenue was in very rough shape prior to this construction," she said, adding that temporary measures taken to fix the road's numerous cracks and potholes "just weren't holding up anymore" and needed more permanent reconstruction.
Several students agreed the roadwork was badly needed, saying the pothole-ridden highway used to make for a bumpy ride.
"It was bad," senior Lizzie Powers said. "It needed help for sure."
Other students and faculty said they have been avoiding driving on Clairemont Avenue lately because of the construction, saying safety issues related to the roadwork were high on their list of concerns.
"It's kind of difficult to make out which way I should be going," assistant economics professor Sanjukta Chaudhuri said about the difficult time she had navigating segments of the road during construction. "Sometimes I feel I'm on the other side of the road."
One student said safety was a big concern during construction.
"I was always worried I was going to crash, to be honest," junior Ian Tilson said. "They have these orange caution cones, but I was still always worried someone was going to cut in my lane."
Despite the concerns among drivers, however, Oullette said the project had a solid safety record, adding there were no serious injuries to drivers or workers during the project.
Steve Trierweiler, owner of Marshfield-based Trierweiler Construction and the project's general contractor, said all in all it was a safe project and drivers were courteous to the workers and slowed down during construction.
Trierweiler said his company's major work is finished, though he added workers may continue working on landscaping and other finishing touches through Monday.
Powers said she hasn't driven on the recently finished highway, but has heard good things from friends and others who have driven on it.
"From what I've heard about it," she said, "I think people are really, really pleased with it."
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