Pedestrian underpass, roundabout included in next year's Menomonie Street project

Dec. 29—EAU CLAIRE — A pedestrian underpass and roundabout are part of Menomonie Street construction the city plans to do in 2023 near the County Materials Complex construction site.

The project is scheduled next year so it will be ready in time for the first major event scheduled at the athletics and event complex — UW-Eau Claire's 2024 spring graduation ceremony.

Dave Solberg, Eau Claire's engineering director and deputy city manager, said the street will be repaved, but its lanes will remain in their current configuration.

"We're not looking at changing a lot of what you see now," he said.

While the Sonnentag Event Center included in the complex is intended to host events with up to 5,000 attendees, Solberg explained the city is not building the road as if that will be a daily occurrence.

For events when the complex attracts lots of spectators, remote parking and a shuttle service is expected to help keep traffic manageable on Menomonie Street.

One change planned to the street's layout is turning the intersection at 10th Avenue into a roundabout.

Another alteration will turn an on-street crosswalk into a pedestrian underpass.

Currently pedestrians and bicyclists using the Chippewa River Trail can use a specialized signal light to halt vehicle traffic to cross Menomonie Street. Replacing that with an underpass is intended to improve safety as well as eliminate delays.

"Anybody who crosses that knows you could be waiting there for a while," Solberg said.

After the underpass is built, the signal lights there known as a HAWK system, will be removed and later relocated for use at another crosswalk, he said.

The Menomonie Street projects were included in Eau Claire's 2022 budget, which shows $6.6 million for the roadwork and $1.7 million for the pedestrian underpass. How much they will actually cost depends on bids the city will get back from contractors early next year.

The city had hoped to get state grants to help pay for the underpass, but found the timing of those didn't match the project's schedule.

But the underpass is getting some unexpected funding help from a federal grant the local convention and visitors bureau secured just this month.

The $1.7 trillion omnibus appropriations act approved last week by Congress included a $750,000 grant to Visit Eau Claire to assist in costs for the pedestrian underpass.

"We'll contribute it to the project as funding from us for the underpass," said Benny Anderson, executive director of Visit Eau Claire.

Rules of the grant program prohibited the local university and city government for applying for it, but Anderson said nonprofit organizations were eligible for it.

Anderson sees the underpass as a positive addition to Eau Claire's extensive trail network — an amenity used by tourists who come here for the outdoors and recreation — and a way to help thousands of visitors get to the County Materials Complex.

"We think we will see a lot of nice growth around it," Anderson said.

Solberg was glad to hear the federal grant will help offset some costs for the pedestrian underpass. Savings there could come in handy depending on how road construction bids come in this spring.

"It gives a little extra flexibility if the other projects in the plan come in at a higher cost than budgeted," Solberg said.

The $750,000 grant was announced in a news release last week from U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, D-La Crosse. Casting his support for the omnibus appropriations package was Kind's final vote as a U.S. representative after he opted not to seek re-election in November. Wisconsin's Third Congressional District will now be represented by Republican Derrick Van Orden, who will take office on Tuesday.