Racine Street bridge in Menasha draws safety, lighting and noise concerns

Reader question: What can be done about the metal plate in the sidewalk on the Racine Street bridge in Menasha? There's a groove in the plate, and if you're on a bicycle, it catches your tire. It's extremely dangerous. I got a skinned and bruised knee because it threw me off my pedal on my bicycle. Can it at least be painted a different color?

Answer: A number of concerns have been raised by Menasha residents regarding the design and construction of the new Racine Street bridge, which opened to traffic earlier this year.

I drove to the bridge to look at the metal plate, and I can see how the gap between the plate and the concrete surface could cause problems for bicyclists.

I brought the concern to Bill Bertrand, project manager for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, which built the $33 million drawbridge over the Fox River.

Bertrand said the metal plate in the sidewalk is "relatively standard for a lift bridge" and isn’t deemed a hazard for bicyclists.

The bridge has 5-foot-wide bicycle lanes adjacent to the travel lanes and inside the parapets. Bertrand said the bicycle lanes are a better alternative than the sidewalks for bicyclists crossing the bridge.

Watchdog Q&A: Duke Behnke answers your local government questions

"Hopefully the vast majority of bicyclists would use the bicycle lanes, and it wouldn't be an issue," he said.

While the DOT built the bridge, ownership of the bridge, including the responsibility for maintenance and repairs, was transferred to Menasha on Sept. 5 upon substantial completion of the project. Bertrand said the city could paint the metal plate a different color if it chooses.

Laura Jungwirth, Menasha's public works director, said the metal plate is one of the concerns that the city brought to the attention of the DOT prior to substantial completion.

The DOT statement that Menasha could paint the plate, Jungwirth said, "is in my opinion a bit dismissive from their end of the condition that was created during the construction process, and modifications to which a local municipality should not have to absorb so shortly after completion of construction."

Jungwirth concurred that most bicyclists should use the bicycle lanes but said wheelchairs, strollers and young bicyclists using the sidewalk "still have to traverse this surface with a significant gap."

The bridge also has drawn complaints from Menasha residents about surface cracks in the concrete, overhead lighting spilling into the neighborhood, and clunking sounds as cars and trucks cross the lift bridge.

Chris Evenson lives on Broad Street and said the noise exists "day in and day out" and severely affects his property.

"When we're in our home, we will sometimes hear this clunking sound and think it's thunder," he told the Board of Public Works. "It's that loud. It goes right through our walls."

The DOT adjusted the computer program for the lift bridge on Aug. 30. Jungwirth said DOT staff concluded the noise is relatively minor for an average vehicle crossing the bridge.

"They do not believe that they are out of the ordinary or excessive for a lift bridge," she said, adding that the city was investigating, documenting and monitoring issues of concern.

Common Council President Stan Sevenich was troubled by the transfer of bridge ownership to city, given the outstanding issues.

"We're not 100% happy," Sevenich told me. "It's a beautiful bridge. It's been serving its purpose, but there are a few flaws that we're not pleased with at this point."

Post-Crescent reporter Duke Behnke answers your questions about local government. Send questions to dbehnke@gannett.com or call him at 920-993-7176.

SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM: Our subscribers make this coverage possible. Click to see The Post-Crescent's special offers at postcrescent.com/subscribe and download our app on the App Store or Google Play.

This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: New Menasha bridge draws safety, lighting and noise concerns