September 19, 2025

By Lane Kimble

GLENDALE, Wis. — After 30 years in the industry, the term “first time” doesn’t enter Louie Chaplinski’s vocabulary very often.

So, would the Rock Roads paving operations manager feel anxious trying a concept for the first time in the company’s history?

“Piece of cake,” Chaplinski told WTBA without missing a beat.

I guess that answers that.

Over several long nights on northbound I-43 this week, Chaplinski’s crews ran a 24-foot-wide asphalt paver by adding extensions–to essentially make it a double-wide operation–with another paver running in echelon.

The unique method allowed Rock Roads to simultaneously pave three full lanes of freeway in just a couple of nights.

“It’s actually been pretty fun, [doing] something that not everybody does.  We like doing things outside the box,” Chaplinski said.  “The staff I have out here, and the staff I have in general with our paving division, I have a lot of confidence and a lot of faith in them.”

Even so, you don’t just wake up one day and say, ‘I think I’ll use the 24-foot paver tonight.’

Tuesday night’s operation took a lot of planning, coordination, and a test run prior to getting to the interstate.  It also required two asphalt plants and dozens of dump trucks running constantly throughout the night to supply the supersized operation.

That allowed Rock Roads to lay 570+ tons of fresh asphalt per hour, moving forward at about 15 feet per minute.

The work is part of prime contractor Zignego Company’s ongoing I-43 upgrades just north of Milwaukee.

“We took the proper steps before coming out to ensure proper execution.  I think that helped a lot,” Chaplinski said.

This project should help the freeway last longer and ride smoother, too.  Paving in echelon eliminates the joints you often see between lanes, which tend to break down first.

So, this first certainly won’t be the last we see Louie and Rock Roads using the “double-wide” tactic in the future.  They’ll hop over to the southbound side of I-43 in October, bringing with them a valuable new tool that’s now tried and tested.

“We’re already feeling really good about being able to execute this way.” Chaplinski said.