October 11, 2025

By Lane Kimble

MILWAUKEE — A safer transportation system for all starts with a safer work zone for contractors.

Advancements in technology, design and collaboration took center stage during UW-Milwaukee’s Southeast Wisconsin Transportation Symposium late last week.

WTBA Director of Engineering Matt Grove spoke during the gathering’s morning breakout sessions.  Grove highlighted WTBA’s three-pronged approach to work zone safety, covering the Work Zone Safe Wisconsin driver’s education platform, an expansion of work zone awareness all season long with WisDOT, and the WTBA’s new billboard campaign in the Fox Valley.

“It’s great to work with the department.  We truly do have a great partnership with safety,” Grove said.  “It’s a tough battle.  Some parts are easy and the awareness part is where some of the focus comes.

“The tough part comes in the actual preplanning and the dollars that are spent and how do you structure the contracts to make sure that everything works out for the best interest of the project.”

The day-long event drew several hundred people from across the industry, WTBA membership, public and private sectors. Fellow presenters included Walbec Group’s Payne + Dolan crews who discussed the benefits of full-weekend closures on I-894 the past two seasons.