The Village made a decision back in 2017 to restripe and resurface Lake Drive to improve the condition of the roadway, reduce the number of lanes from 4 to 2, and implement better safety measures such as additional crosswalks. It was anticipated for the resurfacing to last approximately 7-10 years for when WisDOT was prepared to complete the full reconstruction of Lake Drive.
In 2020, the Village Board was informed by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) that reconstruction of Lake Drive would occur in 2026 from Kensington South to through the City of Milwaukee in 2026. The Village Board expressed to WisDOT they wish to see little to no changes but consider increased pedestrian safety improvements along the route and on-street ADA accessible parking near Atwater Park as presented in the recently completed transportation and parking analysis. WisDOT noted the Village Board’s input, but further relayed that the design of the roadway would be determined by WisDOT following conclusion of the state’s design and public input process.
Lake Drive is a state highway; so the project will be designed, managed and constructed by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) following state and federal requirements. The Village is required by WisDOT to pay for any expansion of the roadway width, on-street parking, trees, replacement of decorative lighting and underground water and sanitary sewer that will be installed in conjunction with the project per state requirements.
This project will address deteriorating pavement conditions and upgrade existing municipal underground facilities. The project may include changes to parking and/or bike accommodations. Proposed improvements also include:
- Pavement replacement
- Concrete curb and gutter
- Curb ramp improvements
- Combined sewer and water main utilities
WisDOT is coordinating virtual public feedback meetings for Tuesday, May 25 from 5:00-6:00 p.m. and 6:00-7:00 p.m. You can view call in information and design concepts for Lake Drive here. The design concepts show a Replace in Kind option, which is fairly similar to the current design of Lake Drive along with two alternative options that expands the width of the roadway, decreases street parking, and eliminates trees along the roadway. This will be a significant impact for the Village; so we encourage anyone to attend to express your opinions. WisDOT will ultimately make the decision on roadway design based upon public input through their design and public engagement process. The meeting will be recorded and posted on the WisDOT website for future viewing. WisDOT also has public comments forms that may be submitted during and after the meeting.
If you have questions about the project, contact Christine Hanna, P.E., WisDOT Design Project Manager at Christine.Hanna@dot.wi.gov or call 414.750.1555.