As many of you have noticed, the bridge spanning I-94 at College Ave. is gone.If you’re traveling southbound, try taking the Airport exit, then south on to Howell Ave. If you take the Rawson Ave. exit, avoid taking 13th St. to get back to College Ave., as it is in major disrepair.
Once you finally arrive at the Oak Creek Campus, you can’t help but notice that the parking lots and access roads aren’t in much better shape after this past winter. Luckily, temporary repairs to the larger holes are scheduled to begin as soon as weather permits.
What if the large portions of the parking lot and driveway need resurfacing or outright replacement?
Here’s where the cooperation between the Department of Transportation and MATC comes into play. From mid-May thru late August, the lower, “B” parking lot at Oak Creek will become the alternate College Ave. Park and Ride lot, while the bridge over I-94 and the existing North and South lots are being repaired.
The “B” lot will be accessible from Howell Ave. between College and Rawson Aves. The North Park and Ride lot is scheduled to reopen in late August, while the South lot and interchange ramps should be completed in November.
In exchange, the DOT will conduct immediate patching of the worst parts of the driveways. They are also constructing a concrete pad for the buses to park on. Security will be increased through the installation of CCTV cameras and more frequent patrols by Oak Creek Police.
For its part in this project, MATC will be receiving funding from the DOT to make permanent repairs to Lot “B.” Mike Sargent, MATC CFO said, “Once the whole program is done, we’re going to use the funds to repave lot ‘B’ and the roadway leading in from Howell Ave. as quickly as we can without disrupting students’ use.”
Sargent went on to say, “I’m really excited by this opportunity. It will give people who’ve never been to MATC a chance to see the campus first hand. This is a win-win for the entire community.
Reconstruction of College Ave. bridge and both Park and Ride lots began in April. (Matthew Friedewald)
