Hardscapes
PAVERS•MASONRY•BLOCKS•ROCKS
Overachieving
Underpass
An
Eau Claire, a town of 66,500 in west central Wisconsin, often ranks high
on quality of life lists. In 2013, the Wall Street Journal's Money Watch designated the city as one of the best places to retire in the United States. The
town's quality of life comes in part from Eau Claire's strong pedestrian and
bike plan, recognized in 2012 by the American Planning Association with
the Wisconsin Northwest District Recognition Award.
In 2009, the Eau Claire city council approved an $8.34 million project to
return the old highway that runs through town to its former life as a landscaped boulevard that was bicycle and pedestrian friendly.
U.S. Highway 53 ran through the city and connected with neighboring
Altoona, and had become dangerous over the years. Called Hastings Way
after its 1916 configuration, the artery was returned to the city by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation when a new U.S. Highway 53 bypass
was constructed in 2007.
"It was an older commercial area with strip malls, geared toward autos,
and was very unsafe for pedestrians, as it became a central hub for the east
hill neighborhood," said Douglas Derks, deputy city engineer.
The Chippewa Falls, Wis., office of engineering firm SEH Inc., held a
series of public meetings to present design options, including roundabouts,
Top: Completed in fall 2012, the Fenwick underpass in Eau Claire, Wis., provides
a safe crossing for pedestrians and cyclists in a high traffic area. Tiered segmental
retaining walls with plantings make the entrances inviting for passersby and match
hardscapes at the adjacent streets and shops.
Left: Multi-level walls provided a visual contrast to the six-foot-high retaining wall at
street level. Trees, plants and shrubs planted within the tiers create an interesting,
inviting entrance and mitigate stormwater overflow, assisting with runoff handled by
the municipal storm system that runs beneath the underpass.
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