When Wisconsin needed to expand capacity along its busiest rail corridor, Walbec’s Zenith Tech delivered—bringing precision engineering and coordinated execution to one of the state’s most complex transportation hubs. The Milwaukee Airport Railroad Station (MARS) expansion is a long-term infrastructure investment that strengthens passenger mobility, supports freight operations, and improves the travel experience for thousands of daily users.
Project Scope
- Two four-story steel tower buildings constructed on piled, monolithic concrete foundations
- Steel pedestrian bridge spanning active railroad tracks at the third-floor level
- Steel towers with dual elevators providing access on both sides of the rail corridor
- New 800-foot west-side concrete platform with partial canopy coverage
- Seamless integration with the existing station and new pedestrian walkway system
- Site improvements, including replacement of the maintenance parking area
Navigating Complex Conditions
Working in an active rail corridor demands planning, flexibility, and teamwork. Walbec coordinated daily with WisDOT, Canadian Pacific City Railroad, Mitchell International Airport, and Amtrak to ensure rail service continued during construction. Despite challenging conditions, the team completed precise structural work while safely accommodating 16 daily passenger trains (up to 79 mph) and 36 freight trains through the site.
Project Impact
The MARS expansion delivers meaningful, everyday benefits to the traveling public by eliminating a long-standing bottleneck at the station. The new west tower structure allows passengers to board from an additional track, enabling more flexible train operations. As a result, the project reduces delays and improves reliability for both passenger and freight rail. These upgrades support expanded rail service, enhance safety and accessibility for all users, and ensure the station’s infrastructure is prepared to meet future growth across the corridor.
Project Status Update
Approximately 90% of Walbec’s work on the project is complete, with the building enclosure subcontractor continuing to make strong progress on the enclosure and interior finishes.
As the project enters its final phases, Walbec teams are focused on completing highly detailed building enclosure work that requires exceptional precision, coordination, and attention to detail. This phase is critical to ensuring the long-term performance and durability of the station structures.
Remaining work includes installing miscellaneous handrails, completing final touch-up items, coordinating pedestrian bridge assembly and placement, and installing the concrete slab following bridge placement.
