The Roman philosopher Seneca once said, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” The Village of Luck, Wisconsin, knew the perfect time to couple planning with purpose in making improvements to their deteriorating Main Street. One of the main arterials through this 1,200-resident community, Main Street needed more than luck to continue operating; it needed an overhaul.

The Village had been attempting for more than a decade to find a way to replace deteriorated sidewalk through their primary business district along Main Street. The existing sidewalk had heaved, cracked, and declined to such a degree that it was not only an eyesore, but dangerous for pedestrians. The curb had similar problems, with cracks and heaving that interfered with street drainage.

The reconstruction of Main Street spanned approximately three blocks of roadway between First Avenue and just south of Park Avenue, with work extending on cross streets for a half block on each side of Main Street. During the design process, it became apparent that the Village’s water infrastructure in the area was in poor condition. Several curb stops were found to be broken, water system components had been experiencing breaks, some valves were found to be inoperable, and there were a number of old, poorly located hydrants along the corridor. It was determined that select curb stops, water services, hydrants and valves needed to be replaced as part of the project.

To address all of the needs in this Main Street corridor, the final project included the installation of new curb and gutter to replace the old, removal and replacement of sidewalk between curb and buildings, and replacement of faulty water infrastructure, including hydrants, water valves and curb stops.  Due to the thickness of the existing pavement – 8 inches in some places – and its relatively good condition, MSA worked with the Village to develop a street design that made use of the existing pavement structure. This included mill-and-overlay for the entire street, with complete removal and replacement of the full-depth pavement only in areas where pavement removal was required to accommodate replacement of water infrastructure and installation of new curb and gutter.

In conjunction with the needed sidewalk and curb repairs, the Village wished to improve the aesthetics of their downtown. After prior unsuccessful attempts to acquire grant funding, MSA funding experts helped the Village successfully apply for and receive a Community Development Block Grant, which delivered $500,000 for the project. This helped finance upgrades to street lighting with new decorative light poles and fixtures, and the installation of other street “furnishings” such as benches and updated waste receptacles.

A major project challenge included adjusting curb and sidewalk grades to establish stormwater drainage and meet ADA requirements without changing existing grades at the street and the building faces. The Village also wished to establish a cross section that allowed removal and replacement of curb in the future, without disturbing the sidewalk. To meet all of these conditions, MSA proposed a 2-foot colored concrete boulevard between the curb and the sidewalk. This provided flexibility in adjusting curb and sidewalk grades, created a natural joint for future curb replacement, and provided a huge, cost-effective, visual impact.

As the project was located in the heart of the downtown business district, minimizing impacts for adjacent property owners was a priority. MSA provided the community with a resident project representative who helped to facilitate communication between the contractor and property owners, facilitated weekly progress meetings (open to the public), provided a weekly newsletter update, and delivered monthly updates to the Village Board.

A thoughtful community and business outreach plan, paired with a collaborative vision and solution-making process between the Village and MSA, helped ensure the successful reconditioning of Main Street, with needed ADA compliance and a refreshed look to enrich Luck’s sense of place and purpose.