Pioneer Drive Revitalization

Final Plans (links)

Construction Status Update (Completed Fall of 2012):  The construction contract was awarded to LaLonde Contractors. Thank you all for your continued patience over the course of the project and I hope you enjoy the new Pioneer Drive.

Project Need:  With Pioneer Drive’s transportation infrastructure failing, the City has been studying all options available when making the necessary improvements to this corridor. Pioneer Drive was last reconstructed in the late 1960’s and is now at the end of its useful life given the condition of the existing pavement, curb & gutter, sidewalks, and storm sewers.

Project Evolution:  Pioneer Drive infrastructure improvements had been earmarked in the City’s future road improvement program for as early as 2014, however, some recent planning efforts, detailed herein, showed cause for a bump in those improvements. During early 2010 the City of Muskego Community Development Authority (CDA) began an amendment of the City’s Downtown Redevelopment District #2 Plan. At that time the CDA investigated if the Pioneer Drive corridor had redevelopment potential. City staff began having meetings with the owners of the businesses and residences in the area to determine what types of redevelopment might benefit the area and the people who reside there. After a few property owner meetings, and a property owner survey, a variety of Pioneer Drive redevelopment implementation efforts were developed for inclusion in the City’s newly amended Redevelopment District #2 Plan. The implementation efforts were all a direct result of this citizen and property owner input. This new plan was approved by the Common Council on September 28, 2010.

Within the Plan the various Pioneer Drive implementation measures included items such as grant/loan potential for updating the structures in the area and it also included “exploring opportunities to reconstruct the roadway with a variety of options for streetscaping treatments.” Lastly, the plan called for staff to look at the road infrastructure improvement needs of Pioneer Drive to include desired improvements that complement the historic atmosphere of the neighborhood and items of consideration shall include minor streetscaping such as signage, landscaping, lighting, road resurfacing, sidewalk reconstruction, and identification of pedestrian crossings. 

The previous owner surveys and local property owner input requested that Pioneer Drive improvements be looked at for the year 2012. This was requested so that there would be fewer reconstruction disturbances along the west side of Janesville Road and Pioneer Drive for the residents and businesses along Janesville Road. Phase I (Moorland to Lannon) of the Janesville Road reconstruction would then take place in 2012 along the same time as Pioneer Drive and then Phase II of the Janesville Road reconstruction would take place in 2013. The originally anticipated 2014 update of Pioneer Drive would have caused three years of reconstruction along the downtown stretch of Muskego and this would now be avoided. 

Based on this history, staff brought forward the costs for a Pioneer Drive improvement to the Common Council during the 2012 budget discussions in the fall of 2011. The Common Council ultimately approved moving forward with the improvements per the budget approvals in October 2011. 

Project Description:  The project includes the reconstruction of Pioneer Drive from Janesville Road (C.T.H. “L”) to Racine Avenue (C.T.H. “Y”). Both rural and urban typical sections will take place in the reconstruction route. Currently, an urban cross section exists from Janesville Road to approximately Horn Park Drive and a rural cross section exists from Horn Park Drive to Racine Avenue. The city intends to keep these cross sections consistent in the reconstruction route with the following design aspects: Janesville Road to Horn Park Drive (urban cross section): This portion of Pioneer Drive is considered a historic district and the city intends to make this portion of the reconstruction route quainter with a higher sense of place. Burying of private utilities, landscaping (including street trees), the addition of decorative street lighting, and road narrowing with occasional “bump-outs” will be sought following an approximate typical cross section as shown below. This work will also include storm sewer design or rehabilitation as needed in this area. Also, work at the intersection with Janesville Road will be coordinated with Waukesha County to ensure proper coordination for their reconstruction of Janesville Road in 2013. Below is an image of the typical urban cross section (or click here for a larger view).

This portion of Pioneer Drive will rehabilitated with a pavement reconditioning process plus the addition of an eight foot wide paved recreational path on the west side of Pioneer from Horn Park Drive to Racine Avenue. 

Water Main was installed in the northern section of the project from Janesville Road to approximately the existing City Park Maintenance Building.