Two Wisconsin paving companies have earned highest honors for paving excellence from the American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA), a national trade association serving the concrete paving industry.
The ACPA presented Gold Awards, which were determined by an independent panel of judges, to LaLonde Contractors, Inc., Milwaukee, and to Vinton Construction Company, Manitowoc.
The awards were judged on overall pavement smoothness, quality control, project complexity, and innovative solutions.
LaLonde earned its award in the Reliever and General Aviation Airports category for total reconstruction of 4,677 feet of runway at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, WI.
Also honored for the runway project were the airport owners, Winnebago County and Wittman Regional Airport, and the project's consulting engineer, OMNNI Associates, Inc., Appleton, WI.
Working together, LaLonde and OMNNI made adjustments that saved $83,000 while completing the project within budget and on time for the airport to host its annual Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) fly-in, which draws 750,000 visitors and more than $80 million in economic impact.
Vinton earned its award of excellence in the Municipal Streets and Intersections Over 30,000 Square Yards category for reconstruction of Lombardi Avenue in Brown County, WI.
Also honored for the Lombardi Avenue project were the project owner, Brown County Highway Commission, and the consulting engineer, OMNNI Associates, Inc. Vinton's Lombardi Avenue project rebuilt the main artery to Lambeau Field — under traffic and without disrupting scheduled Packer events. To be sure the project was complete before the Packers' NFL season opened, the original five-month work schedule had been cut to just four months.
Working together in a public/private construction venture, crews from Vinton Construction and Brown County completed the project in less than four months while maintaining excellent quality.
Kevin McMullen, president of the Wisconsin Concrete Pavement Association, commented, "These two projects are great examples of the quality of construction being done every year in Wisconsin. Congratulations to our members LaLonde Contractors and Vinton Construction."
In accepting the project-owner awards on behalf of Brown County and Wittman Regional Airport, whose representatives could not attend the national awards ceremony in San Antonio, TX, McMullen also recognized the owners' vital roles and partnership in the success of both projects.
