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Washington Street Revitalization
Project Summary
The city of Peoria, Illinois, wanted to modernize its downtown transportation infrastructure and stimulate private development and reuse of existing buildings. Working with the city and its stakeholders, Hanson led a team to redevelop a critical, central section of downtown Peoria along Washington Street from Interstate 74 to MacArthur Highway — located between two commercial districts. The goal was to create a safer, pedestrian-friendly and sustainable urban environment.
"We work with Hanson because they have good technical expertise and are efficient at the work they perform." — Scott Reeise, former director, City of Peoria Public Works Department
The city changed the character of Washington Street by reducing the number of traffic lanes, lowering the speed of traffic, increasing on-street parking and improving pedestrian walkways, safety and aesthetics.
The team tailored three urban-street design concepts for contextual zones along the project corridor. Each contextual zone was designed to the specific characteristics of the area. The results produced solutions to meet the needs of various users — pedestrians, local businesses, trucks and commuters — at eight high-volume intersections, including a roundabout.
The project team delivered the design plan in 15 months and managed the construction schedule to meet the needs of developers, while coordinating extensive public-involvement activities and approvals from multiple agencies, including the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency and Illinois Department of Transportation. The project also had an aggressive completion schedule.
Care was taken during construction activities near the historic buildings along Washington Street. Excavation was carefully monitored when working near the buildings. The removal of a sidewalk adjacent to buildings was completed using a smaller breaker to limit vibration, helping maintain the structural integrity of several 100-year-old brick-and-mortar structures. During paving operations, the contractor used oscillating rollers to limit vibrations while maintaining the pavement’s density and compaction.