US-41 Interstate Conversion

[hobsini2]

I find it interesting that 2015 Camp Scholler map has temporary street names within the campground. I wonder if there are other places that do this. https://www.bing.com/maps/#Y3A9NDEuNjc3Nzk5fi04OC4xNDUxMDMmbHZsPTQmc3R5PWImcT1Pc2hrb3NoJTJDJTIwV2lzY29uc2luJTJDJTIwVW5pdGVkJTIwU3RhdGVz

[mgk920]

I find it interesting that 2015 Camp Scholler map has temporary street names within the campground. I wonder if there are other places that do this. https://www.bing.com/maps/#Y3A9NDEuNjc3Nzk5fi04OC4xNDUxMDMmbHZsPTQmc3R5PWImcT1Pc2hrb3NoJTJDJTIwV2lzY29uc2luJTJDJTIwVW5pdGVkJTIwU3RhdGVz

The roadways on the entire EAA grounds are all named and these names are permanent and signed.  They are not 'official' on the city street map - some are extensions of public roads that are located off of the grounds or that have been vacated as public streets and absorbed onto the grounds, but believe me (my annual volunteer work involves essentially being a 'cab driver' on the grounds), those names are *very useful* - indeed!



Although not shown on the Bing map, the Camp Scholler north-south 'residential' roadways are mostly numbered, they start at 1st St (closest to I-41) and go up to 61st St (closest to Knapp St).

The camp map linked above from EAA is wrong in one regard - the camping area's grid of streets now extends all the way south to Ripple Rd.

Mike

[hobsini2]

Interesting MGK. I never used the campground since my grandparents were close enough (S Mason and Kensington) to Wittman to see the showfrom their back yard.

[Right on Red]

To answer your earlier question, last time I was there the Dodge County Fairgrounds had (permanently installed) street signs. Looks like (from some cursory Street View glances) the State Fairgrounds do this to some extent.

[DaBigE]

To answer your earlier question, last time I was there the Dodge County Fairgrounds had (permanently installed) street signs. Looks like (from some cursory Street View glances) the State Fairgrounds do this to some extent.

IIRC, the Washington County Fairgrounds have them too.

[US 41]

I drove from Terre Haute to Madison and back yesterday. On the way I went through downtown Chicago and took US 41 at the 94/41 split north of Chicago. I took US 41 to Wisconsin where it meets up with I-94. I can confirm that I-41 is signed concurrent with 94 from the Illinois Border to 894. US 41 still runs into downtown Milwaukee. However I'm guessing that will change soon since there was also a sign that said US 41 traffic follow I-41. I took a picture of the I-41 sign on the way up to Milwaukee. I would post the picture on here, but I'm not really sure how to.

[peterj920]

I drove from Terre Haute to Madison and back yesterday. On the way I went through downtown Chicago and took US 41 at the 94/41 split north of Chicago. I took US 41 to Wisconsin where it meets up with I-94. I can confirm that I-41 is signed concurrent with 94 from the Illinois Border to 894. US 41 still runs into downtown Milwaukee. However I'm guessing that will change soon since there was also a sign that said US 41 traffic follow I-41. I took a picture of the I-41 sign on the way up to Milwaukee. I would post the picture on here, but I'm not really sure how to.

I-41 is signed all the way around Milwaukee and so is US 41.  The old US 41 signs that are up into Downtown Milwaukee weren't taken down yet.  Along the Stadium Freeway and Appleton Ave, there's a mixture of US 41 and WIS 175 signs.  It can be confusing right now to see US 41 signed along 2 different routes.

[FightingIrish]

A few pics snapped this morning along I-41:

A BGS sighting along a soon-to-open SB stretch, between Watertown Plank Rd. and Bluemound Road:



New assembly on right shoulder, old assembly in median:



And the new mileage markers, located every 2/5 of a mile:




(sorry for the fuzzy quality, as I was driving at the time.)

In addition, the I-41 shields on the detour assemblies around the state fairgrounds have been uncovered. No pics yet.

[SEWIGuy]

For the love of all that is holy, please don't take pictures when you are driving.  It really isn't that crucial that we see these signs.

[Stratuscaster]

"Bypass Chicago"? That's false advertising, isn't it?

I know that's not what it means - but "Bypass" should not be listed as a control city - or similar to one.

Remove the airplane, put "BYPASS" under "SOUTH", and make "Mitchell Airport" a control city.

[hobsini2]

"Bypass Chicago"? That's false advertising, isn't it?

I know that's not what it means - but "Bypass" should not be listed as a control city - or similar to one.

Remove the airplane, put "BYPASS" under "SOUTH", and make "Mitchell Airport" a control city.

It is signed that way because 894 IS the Bypass. Chicago happens to be the control city. What they should have done us put Bypass in caps above the shields but WisDOT doesn't do that. As for the Airport, the Airplane symbol is what tells you it heads toward the Airport instead of writing it out. And Chicago is a far more important destination for 94 thru traffic.

Here's how I would do it:

[SSOWorld]

They put "Bypass" as a cardinal direction at the Mitchell NB to it.

[Revive 755]

"Bypass Chicago"? That's false advertising, isn't it?

It's north of the junction with I-43, which when used with I-39 and I-74, forms a super bypass of Chicago 

[FightingIrish]

For the love of all that is holy, please don't take pictures when you are driving.  It really isn't that crucial that we see these signs.

My method is pretty simple. My Samsung Galaxy phone has a voice activated camera. I simply held it up and said "shoot".

But I did find this sign, on top of a few others, stashed at the Hales Corners Park n' Ride. I simply pulled in and stopped to snap.

[FightingIrish]

"Bypass Chicago"? That's false advertising, isn't it?

I know that's not what it means - but "Bypass" should not be listed as a control city - or similar to one.

Remove the airplane, put "BYPASS" under "SOUTH", and make "Mitchell Airport" a control city.

The sign is appropriate, and familiar to drivers. The point of the Bypass is to direct traffic headed toward Chicago onto the road, rather than follow the much longer route of I-94 through Downtown. Some signs also feature the airplane icon, denoting Mitchell International.

[SEWIGuy]

"Bypass Chicago"? That's false advertising, isn't it?

I know that's not what it means - but "Bypass" should not be listed as a control city - or similar to one.

Remove the airplane, put "BYPASS" under "SOUTH", and make "Mitchell Airport" a control city.

The sign is appropriate, and familiar to drivers. The point of the Bypass is to direct traffic headed toward Chicago onto the road, rather than follow the much longer route of I-94 through Downtown. Some signs also feature the airplane icon, denoting Mitchell International.

It isn't "much longer."  The bypass is just under 10 miles.  Taking I-94 through downtown is just under 12.

[mgk920]

"Bypass Chicago"? That's false advertising, isn't it?

I know that's not what it means - but "Bypass" should not be listed as a control city - or similar to one.

Remove the airplane, put "BYPASS" under "SOUTH", and make "Mitchell Airport" a control city.

The sign is appropriate, and familiar to drivers. The point of the Bypass is to direct traffic headed toward Chicago onto the road, rather than follow the much longer route of I-94 through Downtown. Some signs also feature the airplane icon, denoting Mitchell International.

A big part of that is the old 'US 41 through Milwaukee streets' thing - I've heard first-hand stories over the years up here in the Appleton area of locals here totally freaking out when US 41 would disappear from the now I-41 'logical' freeway routing around Milwaukee while transiting the area on their way to and from Chicagoland and beyond.  As an attempt to alleviate that, for many years now, at the north end overhead BGSes on the SB US 41/45 (now I-41) approach to the Granville interchange (WI 145 freeway split) on the Milwaukee-Menominee Falls line have also said "To I-894 Bypass/Chicago" to help with those long-distance drivers.

In the other direction, I've always disliked the use of "Fond du Lac" as the control for the NB US 45 and I-894 freeway, as it is the smallest of the 'major' cities on the US 41 (now I-41) corridor.

Mike

[roadman65]

Well Fond du Lac was because of carbon copying of the pre freeway days.

I hate PennDOT using "Milford" for I-84 East instead of "Newburgh, NY" or "Hartford, CT" or even "Port Jervis" I would rather see than some small borough along the path in PA that is eight miles shy of the state line which is the closest thing of significance for Milford to be used as control point.

If PA could do it, of course so is everyone else, and WI is no acception.  Heck things can change, I have seen Rocky Mount be added to I-95 south of Richmond, VA instead of "Emporia" which was previously used in the past.  So anything can happen.

[FightingIrish]

"Bypass Chicago"? That's false advertising, isn't it?

I know that's not what it means - but "Bypass" should not be listed as a control city - or similar to one.

Remove the airplane, put "BYPASS" under "SOUTH", and make "Mitchell Airport" a control city.

The sign is appropriate, and familiar to drivers. The point of the Bypass is to direct traffic headed toward Chicago onto the road, rather than follow the much longer route of I-94 through Downtown. Some signs also feature the airplane icon, denoting Mitchell International.

It isn't "much longer."  The bypass is just under 10 miles.  Taking I-94 through downtown is just under 12.

Try taking it through Downtown and the zipper merge during peak times, or through the Stadium Interchange on game nights.

[SEWIGuy]

"Bypass Chicago"? That's false advertising, isn't it?

I know that's not what it means - but "Bypass" should not be listed as a control city - or similar to one.

Remove the airplane, put "BYPASS" under "SOUTH", and make "Mitchell Airport" a control city.

The sign is appropriate, and familiar to drivers. The point of the Bypass is to direct traffic headed toward Chicago onto the road, rather than follow the much longer route of I-94 through Downtown. Some signs also feature the airplane icon, denoting Mitchell International.

It isn't "much longer."  The bypass is just under 10 miles.  Taking I-94 through downtown is just under 12.

Try taking it through Downtown and the zipper merge during peak times, or through the Stadium Interchange on game nights.

I have taken it many times during times of non-construction.  Most of the time the bypass is faster.  However there can be traffic back ups that make the I-94 option a better one.  (This is one of my problems with this bypass...it simply isn't much of one.)

I was simply suggesting your characterization of I-94 as "much longer" isn't really true.  2 miles isn't "much longer."

[Mrt90]

"Bypass Chicago"? That's false advertising, isn't it?

I know that's not what it means - but "Bypass" should not be listed as a control city - or similar to one.

Remove the airplane, put "BYPASS" under "SOUTH", and make "Mitchell Airport" a control city.

The sign is appropriate, and familiar to drivers. The point of the Bypass is to direct traffic headed toward Chicago onto the road, rather than follow the much longer route of I-94 through Downtown. Some signs also feature the airplane icon, denoting Mitchell International.

It isn't "much longer."  The bypass is just under 10 miles.  Taking I-94 through downtown is just under 12.

Try taking it through Downtown and the zipper merge during peak times, or through the Stadium Interchange on game nights.

I have taken it many times during times of non-construction.  Most of the time the bypass is faster.  However there can be traffic back ups that make the I-94 option a better one.  (This is one of my problems with this bypass...it simply isn't much of one.)

I was simply suggesting your characterization of I-94 as "much longer" isn't really true.  2 miles isn't "much longer."

If the Bypass wasn't there, the Marquette Interchange downtown would usually be a huge mess.  The way the bypass was built (going straight north/south and then turning straight east/west) it doesn't really save much distance but it typically will save some time for people just passing through the area.  And of course it makes it much better for people who are going downtown.  It was built more for that purpose (keeping people away from downtown that don't need to go downtown) than it was to save time for people just passing through. 

[peterj920]

The sign crews must be making big progress in Milwaukee County.  Last week when I drove through all the signing on the interchanges was complete between the Racine/Milwaukee County Line and Illinois, with the exception of the southern terminus in Illinois, still no signs there.  Since there were only reassurance signs from that point north, I decided to take I-43 back because I was feeling tired and it's still the shortest and quickest route between Green Bay and Milwaukee.  Along I-43, the Alternate I-41 signs between the Marquette Interchange and Hwy 100 were still covered up.  Sporadically, new I-41 signs are popping up in the Green Bay area, in the last few weeks new signs have been installed along the collector/distributor lanes at the Wis 29 interchange and at the Oneida St interchange.  The new I-43 North to I-41 North ramp opened and temporary US 41 signs are used instead of I-41 signs still, probably because most of the signs in the area still say US 41.  It will be interesting to see where the END I-41 signs will be installed.  Will they be installed at the I-43 interchange, or at the Lineville Rd Interchange?  The beginning is signed at the Lineville Rd Interchange, but the End signs are supposed to be installed at the I-43 interchange.  Even though it's a difference of about 2 miles, there could be a unique situation where the start and end points at the northern end could be signed in 2 different places. 

[dalemidex]

Well Fond du Lac was because of carbon copying of the pre freeway days.

True, however the same era had I-43 northbound from the Marquette saying "Sheboygan" for years until the mid-late 80's when they were all changed to "Green Bay" as the control city.

In one sense I suppose it's a more complicated issue on 41. 

For 43, Green Bay is the (relatively) big-city terminus, much larger than midway Sheboygan.

For 41, Oshkosh isn't much smaller than Appleton, which isn't too much smaller than Green Bay.  So seemingly they chose the first city of notable size...Fond du Lac.

[peterj920]

Well Fond du Lac was because of carbon copying of the pre freeway days.

True, however the same era had I-43 northbound from the Marquette saying "Sheboygan" for years until the mid-late 80's when they were all changed to "Green Bay" as the control city.

In one sense I suppose it's a more complicated issue on 41. 

For 43, Green Bay is the (relatively) big-city terminus, much larger than midway Sheboygan.

For 41, Oshkosh isn't much smaller than Appleton, which isn't too much smaller than Green Bay.  So seemingly they chose the first city of notable size...Fond du Lac.

US 141 was being constructed as a freeway to Sheboygan before I-43 was designated, which is probably why the signs used Sheboygan more in the past.  I-43 was also supposed to follow Wis 57 to Green Bay originally because it was neutral to the Lakeshore and Fox Valley, but objections and politics moved the alignment to follow US 141, and extend the freeway north of Sheboygan.  Fond Du Lac was probably chosen as the control city because of how close it is to Milwaukee, and because US 45 routes through there.  It does go through Oshkosh also, but it's not much bigger than Fond Du Lac and farther away.  I think Appleton should be the new control city listed at the Zoo Interchange for I-41 because the Appleton/Fox Cities area is the biggest primary area that I-41 serves.  I-43 is still the shortest and quickest route Green Bay from Milwaukee and traffic going to Green Bay should be encouraged to use I-43 since it is 20 miles shorter than I-41.

[FightingIrish]

I've noticed over the past week or two the addition of many new I-41 sign assemblies, this time on intersecting streets. Passed the signing crew truck this morning as they were putting up new aluminum assemblies on Capitol Drive in Wauwatosa.