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WI-26 Upgrade Report

Started by SEWIGuy, April 30, 2010, 04:55:21 PM

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mgk920

Quote from: JREwing78 on June 21, 2011, 10:07:38 PM
Quote from: SEWIGuy on June 21, 2011, 04:53:01 PM

Quote from: JREwing78 on June 20, 2011, 11:43:35 PM
I haven't yet done the drive into Watertown from Johnson Creek. But the section north to WI-60 shows its age, and was clearly never intended to become part of a 4-lane highway. The WI-16 bypass is surprisingly narrow and quite a slow go around Watertown's east side. After the long stretch of 4-lanes most of the way Watertown, going down to two lanes really makes this stretch a slog.

WI-26 will bypass Watertown on the *west* side of the city on a completely new section of road.  It won't be using the WI-16 "bypass."

I didn't intend to imply otherwise. I switched to discussing WI-16 coming from the east to meet up with WI-26 and didn't give the proper cue.

WisDOT is extending the WI 16 bypass a bit westward to connect it to the new WI 26 bypass freeway with a trumpet interchange.  Overall, I like how WisDOT is doing this one.

You can make out the ROW in the latest Google image:
http://maps.google.com/?ll=43.218313,-88.743353&spn=0.035903,0.087891&t=k&z=14

Panning farther south, the Jefferson bypass is shown nearly complete.

Mike


SEWIGuy

Quote from: JREwing78 on June 21, 2011, 10:07:38 PM
Quote from: SEWIGuy on June 21, 2011, 04:53:01 PM

Quote from: JREwing78 on June 20, 2011, 11:43:35 PM
I haven't yet done the drive into Watertown from Johnson Creek. But the section north to WI-60 shows its age, and was clearly never intended to become part of a 4-lane highway. The WI-16 bypass is surprisingly narrow and quite a slow go around Watertown's east side. After the long stretch of 4-lanes most of the way Watertown, going down to two lanes really makes this stretch a slog.

WI-26 will bypass Watertown on the *west* side of the city on a completely new section of road.  It won't be using the WI-16 "bypass."

I didn't intend to imply otherwise. I switched to discussing WI-16 coming from the east to meet up with WI-26 and didn't give the proper cue.


Ah OK....right now, I guess about a third the traffic heads down WI-16 and about 2/3 heads into Watertown.  My guess is that even more will use WI-26 after it is four lanes.

SEWIGuy

Update:  They will not be replacing the concrete on the older Fort Atkinson bypass lanes.  They are simply patching it.  (The new northbound lanes.)

on_wisconsin

"Speed does not kill, suddenly becoming stationary... that's what gets you" - Jeremy Clarkson

JREwing78

The work around Fort Atkinson appears to be wrapping up; they're completing patching in the northbound lanes. North of there, the road is completely done up to just south of the railroad tracks north of Jefferson. The road is down to one lane each way while crews build overpasses over the tracks. I wouldn't expect them to be completed before fall of next year; they might have the southbound overpass ready later on next spring, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

I also tooled up to Watertown to see the expansion; it looks like they're moving pretty quickly. Maybe next year we'll see the bypass open up?

SEWIGuy

The Watertown bypass is to open in 2012. 

Jordanah1

#31
does anyone else want to see a wisconsin 26 extend as a 4 lane divided road all the way to Oshkosh through the new interchange in waupun from a new routing to beaver dam, and a partial freeflow (similar to the new us 41-us 45 interchange) at the current us41-wis 26 interchange? i travel that road alot, and find that it is heavily congested, expecially during big holiday travel days. rosendale in particular is bad, and even a super 2 bypass around the east side with a diamond at wis 23 would help alot. the last time i traveled wis 26, there was a 1/2 mile long line of cars trying 2 go through rosendale.
"Oshkosh"- "Oh, you mean like 'Oshkosh BGosh'?"

JREwing78

#32
I'm sure 4-laning WIS 26 between Watertown and Oshkosh is inevitable, though surprisingly the Corridors 2030 plan doesn't really show much happening north of Waupun.

More info:
http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/projects/state/docs/corridor-rockriver.pdf
http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/projects/state/docs/corridor-goose.pdf

mgk920

We've had a fair amount of discussion about WI 26 in here over the past couple of years.  The current construction.program is to extend the four-lanes from Watertown northwards to WI 60 (east).  I did hear some early rumblings earlier this year from WisDOT about them starting to look into options for extending the four lanes from WI 60 (east) to US 151.

My opinion?  Reroute WI 26 from WI 60 (east) northward and northwestward as a two-lane road on a fully upgradable new four-lanes ROW closely following Dodge County 'A' and Dodge County 'W' to US 151 at its curve on the southeast 'corner' of Beaver Dam.  As part of that, I would close the County 'G' interchange on US 151, rerouting County 'G' to feed into BR US 151 from the south.  Both of these would cross wide-open countryside and require the taking of very few, if any, houses.

North of Waupun, a new-ROW WI 26 bypass of Rosendale is a 'no-brainer', the rest can be upgraded to four lanes as traffic warrants and funding allows.

Mike

tchafe1978

I have a question: For those going from Waupun and points south north to Oshkosh, how many people take the 4-lane US 151 to Fond du Lac, and then US 41 from there to Oshkosh, rather than WIS 26 from Waupun to Oshkosh? I've driven that stretch of WIS 26 a few times and find it to be incredibly slow. So ever since the 4-lane US 151 opened all the way to Fond du Lac, that is the route I chose when heading to Oshkosh from the Madison area. It may be a few miles longer, but it's a higher speed limit and easier passing (not to mention less traffic on that stretch of 151). I'm just curious as to why more people don't chose the route I take instead. IMO, 4-laning WIS 26 from Waupun to Oshkosh would almost be a little redundant.

Jordanah1

#35
i believe it takes longer, playing highschool sports, our bus has never gone that way, although, the bus rarely takes the higher speed road, such as coming from oshkosh, and going to 23 east of fond du lac, the bus always takes the 3:30ish heavy trafic johnson street through fond du lsac, and would sertainly b faster taking 151 bypass, also going 2 oakfield we always exit at military road(county d) and take that rather than 151 to that exit, although the bus did do that once. and to answer the origional question about trafic, it is very heavily traveled, its a [major] truck route.
"Oshkosh"- "Oh, you mean like 'Oshkosh BGosh'?"

Jordanah1

the us 151 project in waupun set up the future 4laning, building the partial freeflow with the ne wis 26 interchange, and if the new ROW would travel strait north from the interchange just west of the current ROW, its all farmland, and would set up the rosendale bypass on the west side with an interchange at wis 23, then cross old 26 and parralel it on the east side untill a partial freeflow with us41 like the new us 41-45 interchange, and a trumpet with what will be the new west side arterial when ever thats built, with the interchange built, and temorarily serving local trafic.
"Oshkosh"- "Oh, you mean like 'Oshkosh BGosh'?"

SEWIGuy

According to Google Maps, it is 31 miles via WI-26 and Rosendale, and 38.4 miles via US-151 and Fond du Lac.  However, Google maps says that WI-26 only takes one minute shorter. 

I really doubt that WIDOT is going to consider upgrading WI-26 between Waupun and Oshkosh.

JREwing78

The traffic may well force their hand eventually, but I would agree. If they wanted to 4-lane WIS 26 north of Waupun, they would've put it into Corridors 2030.

Most non-locals heading north or south wouldn't look at taking 26, because they'd see the 4-lane 151 on the map. I took 26 south of Oshkosh on a Sunday afternoon in April, and was rather shocked at the traffic it was getting (and even more shocked at seeing the passing lanes - you almost never see that outside of hills in Wisconsin).

I was definitely NOT surprised at the heavy law enforcement presence.

SEWIGuy

Well, everyone knows about the WI-26 being the short-cut between Waupun and Oshkosh....and it made sense when US-151 was a two-lane highway.  But now that it is a four-lane highway, US-151 is simply easier.  More passing...no Rosendale to slow you down...  But some people stick with what they know, and what they know is WI-26.

Jordanah1

#40
how about this for an interchange design, the west side arterial segments wouldnt be added untill later, but haveing them in the plans can help preserve ROW.(note not all to scale)

"Oshkosh"- "Oh, you mean like 'Oshkosh BGosh'?"

mgk920

^^
Many years ago I mused about diverging a new-ROW WI 26 from US 41 in the area of that big curve in northern Fond du Lac County, but never pursued it any farther due to a perceived (by me) lack of justification for such a radical upgrade.

Is there any 'official' level discussion going on about a westside arterial for Oshkosh?  That is a new one for me.

My read on the Oshkosh area?  Besides solving the traffic quandary at US 41/WI 21, I would be working on developing a much-upgraded southside lateral arterial street, running from US 41/WI 26 to US 45 at its intersection with former WI 175 (ex US 41, exx WI 15, exxx Yellowstone Trail) along what is now County 'N' and Fisk Ave, perhaps using that as a rerouted US 45.

Mike

Jordanah1

#42
the west side arterial is in the 2030 plans, the best info is at  http://www.co.winnebago.wi.us/highway  ,and a large swath is filled in on the planning maps for possible ROW, but no ROW has been purchased yet, and no plans have been finalized. none of the towns want it within their boundaries, so it will most likely stradel town of Omro, and town of Algoma. I had been thinking about a southern arterial as well, but i dont think they have ever even mentioned it. it could cloverleaf with wis 26/west side arterial south of current wis 26 diamond, which would remain for local acces?... and they could even use it as an emergency landing strip! 2 birds with 1 stone!
"Oshkosh"- "Oh, you mean like 'Oshkosh BGosh'?"

Jordanah1

#43
while i was spacing out during calculus today, i came up with an idea for the Johnson Creek area. to eliminate the diamond with I94, a 3level stacked roundabout could be built aligned south a little, to avoid some buisineses, and would be significantly smaller than a cloverleaf. it would have a speed limit of 35-45 mph, and would be freeflow. this would go with the grade seperation of Jefferson Rd, Milwaukee St, and  Hartwig Bvd south of I94, and have one diamond built between Johnson creek, and watertown, with all other roads and driveways seperated, or diverted to frontage roads. so that it would be a freeway for that entire length.
(it is not all to scale, and some lines are sharper than they would be)
"Oshkosh"- "Oh, you mean like 'Oshkosh BGosh'?"

triplemultiplex

^^

Aw man, you're taking out my favorite pit stop in the state.  That truck stop in the northwest quadrant has the best heat lamp grill I've ever seen, plus Wisconsin themed cookies amid their tempting bakery selection.

I"ll probably try and locate a cloverleaf to the east a little when I get around to this one.
"That's just like... your opinion, man."

mgk920

Quote from: triplemultiplex on October 18, 2011, 06:41:14 PM
^^

Aw man, you're taking out my favorite pit stop in the state.  That truck stop in the northwest quadrant has the best heat lamp grill I've ever seen, plus Wisconsin themed cookies amid their tempting bakery selection.

I"ll probably try and locate a cloverleaf to the east a little when I get around to this one.

That's my best option on that one, too.  It'll have to be just east of that landfill, running roughly along Switzke Rd north of I-94.

BTW, check out the just-posted new aerial images of the Watertown area on Google Maps   :thumbsup:

Mike

SEWIGuy

In looking at those maps, I wonder what needs to be done with WI-89.  As you drive on the new WI-26 around Jefferson, you can literally see WI-89 less than one mile to the west.  Some thoughts...

**Extend WI-89 along US-18 to the WI-26 bypass.  Have it exit off at the northern Bus. WI-26 interchange, where it can catch up with its former routing just north of downtown Fort Atkinson.

**Due the same above, but keep WI-89 along WI-26 to the US-12 interchange, where it can then follow US-12 to Whitewater.  The advantage of this is that once the US-12 bypass of Fort Atkinson is built, WI-89 would naturally follow it.

**Eliminate WI-89 entirely south of US-18.  Between Whitewater and WI-11/US-14, you could either create a WI-189, or create some sort of duplex along WI-11.  Either WI-140 from the west or WI-50 from the east.

JREwing78

My thought was to have WI-89 follow US-12 west out of Fort Atkinson, then north on County Road G. Nice and direct, and you eliminate the mess at US-18.

SEWIGuy

Quote from: JREwing78 on October 20, 2011, 11:10:09 PM
My thought was to have WI-89 follow US-12 west out of Fort Atkinson, then north on County Road G. Nice and direct, and you eliminate the mess at US-18.


To top it off, that is the route that locals take between Fort Atkinson and Lake Mills.

tkiller314

I am excited for the completion of this between Wis 60 and Milton, the new stretch around Milton makes going between Rockford and Fon Du Lac much more streamlined.



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