The Pleasant Prairie Park and Ride Lot in Prairie Springs Park, has received a Project of the Year award from the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Public Works Association (APWA). The project team included engineering and surveying firm R.A. Smith National, the Village of Pleasant Prairie, and Willkomm Excavating.

The project faced a number of challenges, including: inhibited access to the site due to a creek, wetlands, railroad and highway embankment; a tight construction schedule; and a single cost-prohibitive bid to construct the access bridges. Innovative construction techniques, such as using a material conveyor rather than building a temporary crossing that avoided environmental disturbance, kept the project on schedule.

The project used a three-sided, precast concrete bridge structure (Conspan) that does not require periodic inspections and maintenance as would a traditional clear-span bridge. Village of Pleasant Prairie crews constructed the two bridges. Additionally, significant care was taken to minimize the impact to wetlands and reduced the overall construction footprint.