Fox River Boardwalk

PROJECT SUMMARY

The Fox River Boardwalk was a unique project that enables the community to enjoy Wisconsin’s beautiful landscape. Crossing the Fox River, this 1,100-foot bicycle and pedestrian boardwalk connects Heesakker Park in the Village of Little Chute and an expanded rail-trail in the City of Kaukauna.

CHALLENGES

Located on an island, the team was faced with a variety of challenges to overcome to execute the project successfully. Teamwork and collaboration between Walbec’s Northeast Asphalt (NEA) tenured team of professionals and the general contractor led to value-added solutions to get the job done.

At bid time, Fran Letter, an NEA project manager, assembled an experienced team to brainstorm how heavy equipment, crews, and materials would be transported safely to and from the island. Fran consulted with several bridge contractors and the team calculated sizes and weights of all equipment to develop a project-specific plan. All questions and concerns were addressed prior to crews beginning work.

To complete the project, three separate trips were made to transport a grader, skid steer, roller, paver, and crew. Next, seven loads of hot mix asphalt (HMA) were hauled one truck at a time over to the island by barge. After the work on the island was complete, the team finished shouldering the trail and moved the equipment back.

The current on the Fox River also proved to be challenging due to a large amount of rainfall the week prior to production, but the team successfully navigated this.