As a follow up to my story yesterday, I'll now provide details on The Kilbourn Avenue Bridge and a comment.
The Kilbourn Bridge is scheduled to close on July 9, after Summerfest ends.
According to Cecilia Gilbert, permits and communications manager at the Department of Public Works, "All of the bridge's components -- structural, mechanical and electrical -- are in poor condition and need repair. It is a double leaf bascule bridge and is one of the last remaining bridges of its type."
A portion of the new bridge will have a designated bike route and the proposed plan involves pavement markings that will designate a 6-foot bike lane between North Water Street and the west end of the Bridge. The outside six feet of either side of the bridge deck grating will be treated with slip-resistant coating to accommodate bike traffic.
Construction cost is $16.5 million (80 percent Federal/State Bridge Replacement funds, 20 percent city funds) The contractor is Edward Kraemer and Sons which has already begun some work underneath the bridge.
It is scheduled for completion in October 2008.
So, there's the scoop on what will hopefully be another successful Downtown bridge repair and rebirth.
Now a comment and strong suggestion. With the pending closing of Kilbourn, it's now high time that the city change Wells Street to a two-way street.
We'll need better access in and out of the neighborhood and it makes no sense to have this highway running east through our city. Do it now.
A life-long and passionate community leader and Milwaukeean, Jeff Sherman is a co-founder of OnMilwaukee.
He grew up in Wauwatosa and graduated from Marquette University, as a Warrior. He holds an MBA from Cardinal Stritch University, and is the founding president of Young Professionals of Milwaukee (YPM)/Fuel Milwaukee.
Early in his career, Sherman was one of youngest members of the Greater Milwaukee Committee, and currently is involved in numerous civic and community groups - including board positions at The Wisconsin Center District, Wisconsin Club and Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. He's honored to have been named to The Business Journal's "30 under 30" and Milwaukee Magazine's "35 under 35" lists.
He owns a condo in Downtown and lives in greater Milwaukee with his wife Stephanie, his son, Jake, and daughter Pierce. He's a political, music, sports and news junkie and thinks, for what it's worth, that all new movies should be released in theaters, on demand, online and on DVD simultaneously.
He also thinks you should read OnMilwaukee each and every day.
