US-41 Interstate Conversion

[merrycilantro]

Sweet!!! Nice Picture!

That white 41 looks pretty sharp on that blue background!!!

[davenh]

any state-named shields pop up by accident?

None on any of the signs I have seen so far, which now include (all in the Milwaukee area):

• WI-59/Greenfield Ave at I-894
• North Ave WB approaching US-45
• US-18/Bluemound Rd at US-45 (pictures posted earlier in thread)
• The alt signs on I-43 NB

[DaBigE]

That makes sense as to why they recently put those gates up at the Freeway entrances in Fond du Lac. US 151 got them as well as Johnson St (Wis 23)...I can't recall offhand if the other 2 exits in town got them or not but i know the first 2 did. Never understood why, but that makes sense.

According to GSV, yes, they did. With US 41 turning into an Interstate, I'd be very surprised if they didn't. Somewhere on the link I provided previously, WisDOT lists the criteria for when gates get installed vs. installing a barricade rack. IIRC, the main stipulation is AADT.

[GeekJedi]

As of yesterday, the Alt I-41 shields are covered up along I-43.   

[davenh]

As of yesterday, the Alt I-41 shields are covered up along I-43.   

I'm glad I got a look when I did, then. I also saw Alt I-41 signs on I-94 EB out in Waukesha/Pewaukee, directing traffic to exit at WI-164 NB.

[Stratuscaster]

Are the US-41 and US-45 shields shaped a bit differently on that "alt" sign?

[jreuschl]

I wonder if the 'alt' signs confuse any motorists who can easily be confused.. Wait, the interstate continues at this exit!?

SPH-L900

[merrycilantro]

Just heard on 101.1 WIXX (Green Bay) this morning that they are beginning the signing of Interstate 41 in Milwaukee. Though the radio people had no clue as to what the schematics of the transition from USH 41 to I-41 were, it was exciting to hear. Can anybody down there confirm?

[Fox 11 News]

Here's the story WITI did last week:
http://fox6now.com/2014/07/03/have-you-seen-the-signs-for-interstate-41-why-theyre-not-a-mistake/

[merrycilantro]

I suppose, it's not as big a deal in the Milwaukee area as it is in the Fox Cities, because they already have 2 interstates. I'm sure it got very little coverage. They make it sound like "all of a sudden out of the blue, these I-41 signs start popping up! Like WTF right?!"

[SSOWorld]

Alternate routes have taken a new meaning in WI and are appearing in other states as well.  Iowa uses "Emergency Detour"  M- uses "Emergency" Illinois follows Wisconsin similarly (Alt).  There are others but I forget which ones.  They may also be by district especially in IL since I didn't see any outside D2

[Revive 755]

The alternate interstates in Illinois usually only appear during major construction projects IIRC.  Right now there is also an Alt I-55 signed along I-80 and IL 47 to bypass the Des Plaines River bridge work.  An Alt I-80 though has also appeared for an overpass replacement east of Morris.

The St. Louis District of MoDOT has signed color coded "bypass routes" for I-55 (example sign assembly).  I believe these are to be expanded to other interstates in the coming years.

[SSOWorld]

Which is what they were probably intended for where I saw them (The "tollway" being rebuilt by Rockford at the time)

[FightingIrish]

Congress just went on a month-long recess. Did the Senate finally pass their version of the weight limit waiver?

Incidentally, spotted a few more covered signs. These were on Capitol Drive in Waukesha County, designating the I-41/US 41-45 alternate route.

[merrycilantro]

Okay, maybe I'm just simplistic here, but wouldn't it make more sense to Decommission WIS 341 (since it is only like 1 mile long) in favor of the WIS 175 which will come down what is present US41 (Appleton Ave) and end at I-94? I'm sure there MUST be some logic behind it but consolidating numbers and whatnot seems more logical to me. I don't see the Stadium Freeway being turned into a Interstate Spur anytime soon, so I mean why not just have it be 175 all the way down to 59 (National Ave)

[SSOWorld]

It's Wisconsin logic.

[triplemultiplex]

It's Wisconsin logic.

Naw, if it were Wisconsin logic, they would extend both WI 175 and WI 341 over the newly vacated portion of US 41 and create another long concurrency.

[GeekJedi]

Actually, Wisconsin logic would dictate that WI-175 and 341 be re-routed on to I-94 W to US 45 N then up to Appleton Ave, creating one section of pavement labeled as "I-41, US-41, US-45, WI-100, WI-175, and WI-341".

But I digress...   

[merrycilantro]

I Literally Laughed out loud at the previous two posts!! SO TRUE!!!

[davenh]

I got a picture of the newest WI-341 sign in the Stadium Interchange. Interesting change, though:



Instead of just covering the previously reported WI-175, there's an "END US-41" on this sign. Totally false, of course, but interesting nonetheless.

[merrycilantro]

Hmm. wonder how long it'll take to cover it up...that just doesn't make sense...

[davenh]

Hmm. wonder how long it'll take to cover it up...that just doesn't make sense...

I thought someone had mentioned (though I can't seem to find the post) that the sign had said "South WI-341/END WI-175". By the time I got to it (which admittedly, this picture is a couple of weeks old), this was what I saw. Assuming that it had listed WI-175, I don't get why they didn't just leave that on there and cover up that portion of the sign, like what they've done to anything mentioning I-41.

[SEWIGuy]

Well not to mention that US-41 doesn't "END" there. 

[FightingIrish]

Actually, Wisconsin logic would dictate that WI-175 and 341 be re-routed on to I-94 W to US 45 N then up to Appleton Ave, creating one section of pavement labeled as "I-41, US-41, US-45, WI-100, WI-175, and WI-341".

But I digress...   

I still don't get the logic of the WI 100 concurrency with 41/45 from Silver Spring to Main St. Wouldn't it have made more sense to run it concurrently with WI 145 on 124th St. from the North Interchange to Brown Deer Rd.?

[Big John]

Actually, Wisconsin logic would dictate that WI-175 and 341 be re-routed on to I-94 W to US 45 N then up to Appleton Ave, creating one section of pavement labeled as "I-41, US-41, US-45, WI-100, WI-175, and WI-341".

But I digress...   

I still don't get the logic of the WI 100 concurrency with 41/45 from Silver Spring to Main St. Wouldn't it have made more sense to run it concurrently with WI 145 on 124th St. from the North Interchange to Brown Deer Rd.?

It used to run from W Good Hope Road to N 107th St before the City of Milwaukee took over 107th St.  Then it was rerouted to its current route.  For some reason it was not rerouted again when 124th St was reconstructed and extended to Brown Deer Rd.