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Public Works committee approves a package of 2026 capital projects and state agreements
Summary
The City of Milwaukee Public Works Committee approved a series of 2026 capital activations and state municipal agreements covering street reconstruction, intersection safety projects, multimodal work and utilities coordination, including funding setups that range from engineering to construction and a substantial street-lighting allocation.
The City of Milwaukee Public Works Committee on an administratively heavy agenda approved a group of 2026 capital activations and state municipal agreements covering paving, intersection safety work, multimodal striping and utility coordination.
The committee adopted multiple resolutions authorizing funds for engineering, design and construction. Early items included a resolution to set up engineering for accessible paving projects (File 251489) and files approving engineering and construction funding for other 2026 street projects. A DPW presenter described the construction-funding file as “setting up construction funding for projects to occur in 2026.”
Separately, the committee approved a first revision to a state municipal agreement with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation for North 76th Street (Florist Avenue to CTH Q) that reflected bid results and an estimated city share increase. DPW said the North 76th work will be an asphalt mill-and-overlay with limited curb adjustments.
The committee also authorized amendments and funding arrangements tied to the Kinnickinnic River flood-management project and related combined-sewer relocation costs; DPW said city construction costs for the combined-sewer relocation will be reimbursed by the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewage District (MMSD).
Other approvals included additional design funding for North Teutonia Avenue in partnership with WisDOT, programmed intersection-safety improvements under the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HISA) at Forest Home Avenue & South 16th Street, and design agreements for a set of Cesar Chavez/S. 16th Street intersections. The multimodal capital program was activated to fund small-scale rapid-implementation work and striping; DPW said roughly $1,400,000 within that line item is allocated to infrastructure projects for 2026.
On routine capital activations, the committee moved forward signal and sign work, underground communications and conduit projects, and maintenance and repair of underground manholes. The committee approved a street-lighting budget allocation, during which staff and aldermen discussed the scale of work required to modernize the city’s lighting system and obstacles such as material shortages, cable theft and contractor capacity.
The session also included a separate item authorizing an amendment to a lease for a wireless site with New Singular Wireless PCS LLC (identified in the file as AT&T). The amendment extends the lease term and raises the rent for one site from $19,500 to $52,215 with a 5% escalator; the city attorney said that increase brings that site more in line with other leases.
Most of the capital and agreement files carried by voice motion and were ordered with no objections. Committee members asked that DPW provide lists and additional project detail where files did not include location-level breakdowns; DPW agreed to supply project lists to the committee.
The committee concluded the agenda items and ordered the files to advance according to the council’s normal process.
