US 10/WI 441 upgrade thread!

[peterj920]

The ROW by the I-39 interchange is clear and protected. Also, the connection at the east end is different that what you show, there'll be a diamond interchange with a local road by Lake Emily County Park and the existing highway between there and WI 161 will be seriously downgraded (I would fully abandon it and turn the eastbound concrete into a public trail).

Mike

If that bypass is built I highly doubt that the existing US 10 would be downgraded.  The interchange to connect the new and existing US 10 is designed to be a trumpet, which is more expensive than a diamond interchange.  County SS up in Rice Lake is still 4 lanes and was recently resurfaced and was not downgraded after US 53 was moved onto a new alignment.  I can't think of any road in Wisconsin that was built to be 4 lanes that was downgraded later.  There have been roads that were 6 lanes then downgraded to 4 (Hastings Way, Eau Claire, Military Ave, Green Bay, Wis 181, Brown Deer).  In the future if the County J bridge reaches the end of its service life it may be replaced with an intersection, but that bridge is fairly new and it's years away from the end of its service life.

[mgk920]

The ROW by the I-39 interchange is clear and protected. Also, the connection at the east end is different that what you show, there'll be a diamond interchange with a local road by Lake Emily County Park and the existing highway between there and WI 161 will be seriously downgraded (I would fully abandon it and turn the eastbound concrete into a public trail).

Mike

If that bypass is built I highly doubt that the existing US 10 would be downgraded.  The interchange to connect the new and existing US 10 is designed to be a trumpet, which is more expensive than a diamond interchange.  County SS up in Rice Lake is still 4 lanes and was recently resurfaced and was not downgraded after US 53 was moved onto a new alignment.  I can't think of any road in Wisconsin that was built to be 4 lanes that was downgraded later.  There have been roads that were 6 lanes then downgraded to 4 (Hastings Way, Eau Claire, Military Ave, Green Bay, Wis 181, Brown Deer).  In the future if the County J bridge reaches the end of its service life it may be replaced with an intersection, but that bridge is fairly new and it's years away from the end of its service life.

The was the plan put forth before a series of hearings and so forth.  After that period of public input (I added some input that delayed their final routing decision by about two weeks - they told me so much) and further study (especially 'origin-destination' surveys), WisDOT found that existing US 10 there would only essentially be used by Amherst area locals getting between there and the Fleet-Farm store in Stevens Point - that's where most of the locals go when they get on US 10 west, this while most of the overhead traffic coming in from the east wants to get to I-39.

After that period, the decision was made to drop that 'trumpet' and replace it with a new diamond interchange with a local crossroad right about where the current half-diamond interchange is and downgrade current US 10 from there to WI 161.  Remember that that part of US 10 was first built as a two-lane highway on a new-ROW during the mid-1960s.  'Old' US 10 there is now WI 161, an old concrete-paved local township road and a county highway back to the current railroad underpass in Amherst Junction via Nelsonville.

Mike

[The Ghostbuster]

Will US 10 ever be built on a new alignment to connect with Interstate 39 east of Stevens Point?

[JREwing78]

Probably.

[I-39]

Will US 10 ever be built on a new alignment to connect with Interstate 39 east of Stevens Point?

Knowing WisDOT, yes, eventually. However, there are more important things WisDOT needs to spend their money on before doing this.

I am surprised they didn't finish it before constructing the spur to Marshfield (which was not needed at all).

[peterj920]

Will US 10 ever be built on a new alignment to connect with Interstate 39 east of Stevens Point?

Knowing WisDOT, yes, eventually. However, there are more important things WisDOT needs to spend their money on before doing this.

I am surprised they didn't finish it before constructing the spur to Marshfield (which was not needed at all).

I posted this before, but politicians and leaders from the Marshfield area pushed for US 10 to be built because Marshfield claimed it was the biggest city in Wisconsin without a 4 lane highway.  After Wis 54 was upgraded to Wisconsin Rapids, the pressure to upgrade US 10 intensified.  Most road projects come down to politics, and the Transportstion Projects Commission decides which major projects get constructed in Wisconsin.  It consists of 5 senators, 5 assemblyman, 3 citizens, and the governor.  The Transportation secretary is a member but doesn't get to vote.  The Viroqua-Westby Project of US 61 is a prime example of politics getting a road built, that project wasn't needed. (Has been scaled back since approved)

[triplemultiplex]

The Viroqua-Westby Project of US 61 is a prime example of politics getting a road built, that project wasn't needed. (Has been scaled back since approved)

The bypasses have been effectively cancelled.

[The Ghostbuster]

Why were they canceled? Not enough traffic? Too much local opposition? Please fill me in.

[peterj920]

The Viroqua-Westby Project of US 61 is a prime example of politics getting a road built, that project wasn't needed. (Has been scaled back since approved)

The bypasses have been effectively cancelled.

The 4 lane upgrade between the 2 cities was built.  I'm just wondering why that project was approved.  There aren't any connections with other freeway/expressways and it a short expressway isolated in rural southwest Wisconsin. 

[peterj920]

If US 10 is built on a new alignment between Stevens Point and Amherst Jct, Wis 54 could be reroute dealing with it and the stretch between Plover and Waupaca could be transferred to local control.  In the interim, WISDOT should consider detouring Wis 54 along CTH B between Amherst and Plover because motorists would be able to utilize the U.S. 10 expressway more, and CTH B is the 4 lane link to the Wis 54 expressway to Wis Rapids.

[triplemultiplex]

Why were they canceled? Not enough traffic? Too much local opposition? Please fill me in.

New traffic projections made them cost in-effective to construct.
The four-lane was built mostly for local traffic, which apparently was sufficient to warrant the upgrade.  But it's predominantly local traffic, not regional traffic seeking to get through Viroqua and Westby.  Thus, the uselessness of the proposed bypasses.

[The Ghostbuster]

Thanks for answering my question, triplemultiplex. Let's get back to discussing the original intention of the thread: the US 10/WI 441 upgrade. Comments on other highways should be placed under different threads.

[peterj920]

First deck pour occurred yesterday on the new US 10/WIS 441 Eastbound bridge across Little Lake Butte Des Mortes.  Link to the story from Fox 11 below. 

http://fox11online.com/news/local/fox-cities/progress-made-in-441-bridge-project

[peterj920]

Drove on Wis 441/US 10 yesterday and noticed that transmission lines were moved and the mini storage buildings were being dismantled in the County AP interchange area.  The deck for the new Little Lake Butte Des Mortes bridge is poured.  Permanent BGS signs are also up along I-41 south at the Bridgeview Interchange.  Interesting how Wis 441/US 10 east still doesn't have a control city.  US 10 west has Stevens Point. 

[gbgoose]

Drove on Wis 441/US 10 yesterday and noticed that transmission lines were moved and the mini storage buildings were being dismantled in the County AP interchange area.  The deck for the new Little Lake Butte Des Mortes bridge is poured.  Permanent BGS signs are also up along I-41 south at the Bridgeview Interchange.  Interesting how Wis 441/US 10 east still doesn't have a control city.  US 10 west has Stevens Point. 

441 East has had no control city for years.  Since 441 surrounds Appleton, I'm not sure what you'd put for a control city.  Menasha since there's a reference for Exit 134.  Possibly add Manitowoc with 10?

[peterj920]

Photos from the I-41/US 10/Wis 441 Interchange

[The Ghostbuster]

Nice to see those Interstate 41 shields on the sign.

[TriCountyExpressway]

Photos from the I-41/US 10/Wis 441 Interchange

Thanks for posting! I didn't get a photo of it, but I noticed today that there is a new BGS over US10 East, just past the exit for County Rd. CB. It has markings for the beginning of WIS 441 and the interchange with I-41 South and the future interchange with I-41 North (currently covered).

It is really exciting to see this project come together. WIS 441 has come a long way from these days...

[SEWIGuy]

When is that picture from?

[TriCountyExpressway]

When is that picture from?

That photo would've been taken sometime before 1997. Some of the original ramps were at grade intersections with WIS 441 and they were removed in 1997, causing the missing movements we have today.

[triplemultiplex]

When is that picture from?

1992
The ol' digital ortho quads.

[peterj920]

The intersections were there because the bridge was actually County Q when it first opened.  Wis 441 was originally supposed to be an expressway built by the 3 counties it crossed. WISDOT took over and made it a freeway.  Good thing that was done because traffic would be a nightmare if it would have been built with at grade intersections.  The interchange with County KK is bad right now, imagine what it would be as an intersection which it was originally supposed to be.

[mgk920]

When is that picture from?

1992
The ol' digital ortho quads.

1991 sounds more correct for when that image was flown, while the quad itself was prepared and printed in 1992.  Note that the four lane to six lane upgrades for US 41 in the Neenah to Appleton area (built 1991-1992) are in their earlier stages.

Mike

[triplemultiplex]

Ah, good catch, Mike.

I remember scouring those DOQ's on Microsoft Terraserver back in the day.  Began my lifelong love affair with aerial photography interpretation.
I remember how stoked I was when they started adding color images c. 2002.

[mgk920]

More drone video of the project (Racine St interchange in Menasha, WI).

Enjoy!

Mike