Major Drilling Projects

Zoo Interchange Reconstruction, Milwaukee, WI

GESTRA Engineering, Inc. is providing drilling and laboratory testing services for the Zoo Interchange reconstruction project in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.  The project involves reconstruction of the Zoo Interchange and arterial roadways. 

Geotechnical drilling services include subsurface exploration for proposed replacement bridges, new bridges, railroad tunnels,
retaining walls, box culverts, pavement, traffic signs, storm water ponds and related structures.   The proposed scope of
geotechnical drilling work includes an estimated 1,050 geotechnical soil borings encompassing approximately 53,200 lineal feet
of drilling.

High Speed Rail, Watertown to Madison, WI 

The existing Canadian Pacific and Wisconsin Southern railroad between Milwaukee and Madison was being considered for improvement to accommodate the proposed (currently on hold) high speed rail between these two cities. GESTRA's scope of work included subsurface exploration and laboratory testing of soil for several rail bridges, culverts, retaining walls and rail/embankment widening for the High Speed Rail (HSR) project. Field investigation scope included over three hundred explorations including soil borings and cone penetration locations. Laboratory services included tri-axial, consolidation, permeability, soil index properties and chemical analysis for soil corrsovity. 

I-94 North South Corridor Widening, Milwaukee – Kenosha, WI

The I-94 north-south corridor, a 32 mile section of interstate in Kenosha, Racine and Milwaukee Counties, is being reconstructed. The project includes adding one lane in each direction, reconstructing the Mitchell Interchange and reconstructing most of the structures between the Mitchell Interchange and the state border with Illinois. GESTRA performed more than 1000 borings for a total of over 40,000 lineal feet of drilling and monitoring well installation. In situ-testing included pressuremeter testing. 

US 41 Corridor Improvement, Brown County, Wisconsin

The US 41 expansion project in Brown County, Wisconsin extends from Orange Lane at the south project limit to Lineville Road (CTH M) at the north end.  The objective of this expansion project is to accommodate more traffic and provide safer and easier travel.   Key features of the improvement plan include interchange upgrades, added lanes and construction of roundabouts.  Ten Hwy 41 interchanges are being planned for upgrading/reconstruction in Brown County.  GESTRA’s scope of work includes performing subsurface exploration, geotechnical engineering analysis, and preparing structural geotechnical reports  (SGR) for 23 road bridges, 38 retaining walls and 12 sign bridges.

Wis 441 Tri-County Project, Winnebago and Outagamie Counties, Wisconsin

Improvement to approximately 6 miles of the existing WIS 441 roadway.  This includes adding mainline capacity to WIS 441, reconstructing interchanges and adding a new parallel bridge for Little Lake Butte des Morts (LLBDM).
 
GESTRA is performing geotechnical drilling and SPT borings at depths between 10 and 100 feet, Downhole vane shear testing of softer soils. Geotechnical laboratory testing including classification testing, gradation analysis, consolidation, unconfined compression and triaxial, Bridges, MSE retaining walls, pavement, embankment (settlement and slope stability). The area has a significant area of soft/low strength lean to fat clay deposits along with a history of excessive settlement and slope stability issues.