The Future of US 12 in Wisconsin

[Molandfreak]

Ugh. More mediocre and even downright terrible decisions from a DOT that was forward thinking when it came to building out expressways to adequately serve the state two decades ago.

[SEWIGuy]

Ugh. More mediocre and even downright terrible decisions from a DOT that was forward thinking when it came to building out expressways to adequately serve the state two decades ago.

I would suggest that a number of those expressways were overbuilt leaving other corridors wanting, and now they are playing catch-up with major projects like the current I-43 expansion and future I-41 expansion.

Furthermore, with the removal of the gas tax indexing to inflation, there just isn't enough money available.

[Molandfreak]

Ugh. More mediocre and even downright terrible decisions from a DOT that was forward thinking when it came to building out expressways to adequately serve the state two decades ago.

I would suggest that a number of those expressways were overbuilt leaving other corridors wanting, and now they are playing catch-up with major projects like the current I-43 expansion and future I-41 expansion.

Furthermore, with the removal of the gas tax indexing to inflation, there just isn't enough money available.

Yeah, for whatever reason it is a very popular opinion in the roads community to bash WisDOT for their philosophy in the '90s of actually caring about visitor experiences in the state, building out corridors that actually manage traffic safely and efficiently in rural areas. Could they have done without an interchange here and there? Absolutely. But they did the right thing in the grand scheme of things.

[SEWIGuy]

Ugh. More mediocre and even downright terrible decisions from a DOT that was forward thinking when it came to building out expressways to adequately serve the state two decades ago.

I would suggest that a number of those expressways were overbuilt leaving other corridors wanting, and now they are playing catch-up with major projects like the current I-43 expansion and future I-41 expansion.

Furthermore, with the removal of the gas tax indexing to inflation, there just isn't enough money available.

Yeah, for whatever reason it is a very popular opinion in the roads community to bash WisDOT for their philosophy in the '90s of actually caring about visitor experiences in the state, building out corridors that actually manage traffic safely and efficiently in rural areas. Could they have done without an interchange here and there? Absolutely. But they did the right thing in the grand scheme of things.

Some of them made obvious sense. WI-29 and US-151 are great examples. But there are others, US-53, US-10 west of Stevens Point, etc. are ones that the four lane expressway was simply overkill. Have you driven some of these highways? There just isn't any traffic.

And that overbuilding is why projects like the US-12 upgrade get pushed further into the future. And traffic actually uses these highways too.

[mgk920]

The most the DOT has on making US 12 a freeway is this freeway conversion study: https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/projects/by-region/sw/12freeway/default.aspx. The last Public Information Meeting was in 2015, and it doesn't look like any of the improvements listed in the study will be implemented anytime soon.

As long as a corridor for it is being preserved, I'm happy.

Mike

[The Ghostbuster]

Whenever upgrades happen, interchanges at CTH K and the two STH 19 intersections should definitely be constructed.

[hobsini2]

Whenever upgrades happen, interchanges at CTH K and the two STH 19 intersections should definitely be constructed.

And not as those goofy J Turns like Wis 26 has south of Ft Atkinson.

[midwesternroadguy]

Whenever upgrades happen, interchanges at CTH K and the two STH 19 intersections should definitely be constructed.

Agreed.  I'd add the Sauk City bypass too.  With today's TPC announcement for I-90/94, US 12 will be even more backed up in Sauk City during the reconstruction of 67 (that's what they said) miles of the interstate.  Currently, on weekends US 12 backs up for 6 miles southbound on weekends.

[The Ghostbuster]

That's STH 60, not STH 67.

[JREwing78]

That's STH 60, not STH 67.

He was stating the reconstruction on I-39/90/94 between the Dells and Madison would span 67 miles. Not referencing Hwy 60.

If I was someone influential in the Dells area, I would be raising hell with WisDOT about the (lack of) work to complete the US-12 Sauk City bypass. 

[SEWIGuy]

That's STH 60, not STH 67.

He was stating the reconstruction on I-39/90/94 between the Dells and Madison would span 67 miles. Not referencing Hwy 60.

If I was someone influential in the Dells area, I would be raising hell with WisDOT about the (lack of) work to complete the US-12 Sauk City bypass.

I think they are overjoyed that the I-39/90/94 project is going to be the next big one - that highway is significantly more important than US-12. Who isn't going to the Dells because it takes a few extra minutes to drive through Sauk City?

[JREwing78]

If I was someone influential in the Dells area, I would be raising hell with WisDOT about the (lack of) work to complete the US-12 Sauk City bypass.

I think they are overjoyed that the I-39/90/94 project is going to be the next big one - that highway is significantly more important than US-12. Who isn't going to the Dells because it takes a few extra minutes to drive through Sauk City?

As much whining went on about the 6-laning of I-39/90 south of the Beltline, I would imagine at least a few folks are going to opt out of going to the Dells due to the construction. Having a 4-lane US-12 connection from Madison before they lean heavily into a mainline I-39/90/94 rebuild woud mitigate some of those construction woes.

I suspect, however, nobody's particularly fond of the idea of adding any additional traffic to the Beltline. That makes sense.