Several blocks of West Roosevelt Drive will be under construction in 2024 for a sewer project by the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District. Traffic will be open but rerouted. (Photo by Meredith Melland)
By Meredith Melland
This story was originally published by Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, where you can find other stories reporting on fifteen city neighborhoods in Milwaukee. Visit milwaukeenns.org.
The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District is finalizing plans for its West Roosevelt Sewer Improvement Project that will run under West Roosevelt Drive from North 42nd Street to North 58th Boulevard in 2024.
The work should not affect sewer or water service or cause basement flooding to homes in Sherman Park, Sunset Heights and surrounding neighborhoods, according to MMSD senior project manager Keith Kalinger.
Sewers dug by the MMSD may be 40 feet to 60 feet deeper than ordinary basements, Kalinger said at a neighborhood meeting in August at Sherman Perk Coffee Shop, 4924 W. Roosevelt Drive.
Though Roosevelt Drive will remain open to traffic throughout the sewer project’s duration, construction will affect traffic flow, parking and crosswalks.
Here are some things you need to know.
Why is new work being done on the sewer?
MMSD, the government agency that provides wastewater services to the Milwaukee region, will be building sewers under West Roosevelt Drive to redirect flow and remove a sanitary sewer overflow in its system.
What is the budget for the project?
The project’s budget is $27.5 million, which includes consultant design, MMSD labor and construction costs, according to Kalinger. He added it will be adjusted to $34.5 million for MMSD’s 2024 capital budget.
Why is the project needed?
The main goal is to prevent sanitary sewer overflows, where wastewater from the MMSD’s sewer system rises back into sewer pipes and might have to be released into the waterways untreated.
How it works
As part of the project, a new sewer will be installed along Roosevelt Drive that will flow from the northeast to the southwest and connect to a much larger metropolitan interceptor sewer that is sized to take additional flow, including what a storm could generate, said Robert Seleen, flood hazard mitigation manager for the City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works.
Currently, sanitary sewer lines flow northeast toward a meeting point at North 35th Street and West Capitol Drive. A bypass pump station at 35th and Capital could overflow and go into city sewers when wastewater levels are high in MMSD sewers along Roosevelt Drive.
MMSD captured and treated 98.7% of wastewater before returning it to the waterways in 2022, but it has a goal of having zero sanitary sewer overflows, according to its 2023 budget report.
What is the project’s schedule?
The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District’s Commission, in September, awarded the West Roosevelt project contract to Super Excavators Inc., a tunneling business based in Menomonee Falls.
The project team’s focus will now be on obtaining permits, which will require review from the city, before construction begins in early 2024.
The project is expected to last from 18 months to 20 months, with construction going on until early 2025 in parts of West Roosevelt’s roadway, not boulevard, during two stages.
What is the traffic plan?
Sidewalks will remain open and cross traffic will continue at most intersections during construction, though some turns may be restricted.
In stage 1, the project will focus on tunneling and then backfilling holes and building maintenance holes.
Work will take place on the northeast-bound or south side of West Roosevelt Drive’s roadway from 42nd to 53rd Streets.
Street parking will be removed and both directional lanes of traffic will be shifted into the southwest-bound or north side of the roadway.
Access to driveways and alleys will be maintained, Kalinger said.
A view from a business owner and resident
Bob Olin, owner of Sherman Perk Coffee Shop and a Sherman Park resident, said he is thankful the project will keep traffic in the westbound lane in the first stage so customers can access the coffee shop more easily.
Still, he expects the construction will affect business.
“I’m sure it will,” he said. “But what can I do about it?”
What happens during stage 2
In stage 2, traffic will move back to both sides of the boulevard in the outermost curb lanes as crews work in the center section of the roadway.
During this phase, the project team will rebuild connection points to the city’s sanitary sewer pipes.
Most crosswalks will remain open
The east crosswalks over Roosevelt Drive along Fond du Lac Avenue and Sherman Boulevard will be closed for both stages while work is performed.
Additional crosswalks will be closed during specific stages. View the crosswalk map for more details.
Meredith Melland is the neighborhoods reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and a corps member of Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. Report for America plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom.