The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Wisconsin announced today its juried selection of 2023 Engineering Excellence Award winners. The City of Onalaska and MSA Professional Services, Inc. (MSA) were together chosen to receive a State Finalist Award for the East Main Street and Green Coulee Road Roundabout project, a designation given to projects demonstrating great skill and creativity of the engineering profession in the State of Wisconsin.

Engineering Excellence Award recipients are selected by a diverse jury and project submissions are appraised on the achievement of five categories: original or innovative application of new or existing techniques; future value to the engineering profession and perception by the public; social, economic and sustainable design considerations; complexity; and exceeding owner needs.

The East Main Street and Green Coulee Road Roundabout project in the City of Onalaska answers long-standing safety and traffic efficiency concerns with a new two-lane roundabout adjacent to the US 53 interchange. After an increase in congestion and vehicular crashes in recent years, the City recognized a need to reassess intersection options and worked with transportation engineers from MSA to lead the study and design of the project.

The project involved adjoining two existing large dual box culverts with a retaining wall in order to gain 3,200 additional square feet of real estate needed to meet design regulations for the two-lane roundabout while still supporting proper channel flow and capacity for a local stream flowing through the culverts. The local Kwik Trip also donated a portion of land to retain the location of its driveway for the new roundabout, which is an oblong shape approximately 140 feet wide, designed to accommodate the small footprint of space available at the site.

The project was designed by MSA in close coordination with local businesses, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) and local residents. The result improves safety and traffic efficiency, reduces vehicular speeds, and implements a number of new pedestrian safety features including accessible two-stage crossings and rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs) to facilitate crossings of East Main Street. The roundabout was constructed under traffic and completed in October of 2021, with no injury crashes reported since its opening.

“MSA is honored to have worked with the City of Onalaska on such a unique and multifaceted project to improve the community” remarked Kevin Ruhland, PE, vice president of the Mobility service line at MSA. “We extend our thanks to the award jury and congratulate all the other award recipients.”

All Engineering Excellence Award recipients were formally recognized at the 2023 ACEC Wisconsin Awards Banquet April 28, 2023, at the American Club in Kohler, Wisconsin.