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Started by peterj920, February 24, 2019, 09:44:39 PM

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peterj920

Quote from: SEWIGuy on May 05, 2020, 09:15:18 AM
I should also say its funny in retrospect to see what has happened to Fish Hatchery.  Growing up in the 70s and 80s, once you got south of the apartments just off the Beltline, it was a completely rural road.  And until the early 90s, was routed along what is now "Glacier Valley Road."  Where the road runs now south of McKee Road (CTH PD) was a field where the dairy cows on a friend's farm used to graze.

There were no restaurants south of the Beltline either, except for a Bridgeman's, which was located in the current Park Bank building.

If the recently reconstructed Fish Hatchery Rd replaced pavement from the 1990s, it was constructed extremely bad. Concrete shouldn't fail that terribly over that amount of time.


on_wisconsin

#76
Quote from: peterj920 on November 04, 2021, 07:49:43 PM
Quote from: SEWIGuy on May 05, 2020, 09:15:18 AM
I should also say its funny in retrospect to see what has happened to Fish Hatchery.  Growing up in the 70s and 80s, once you got south of the apartments just off the Beltline, it was a completely rural road.  And until the early 90s, was routed along what is now "Glacier Valley Road."  Where the road runs now south of McKee Road (CTH PD) was a field where the dairy cows on a friend's farm used to graze.

There were no restaurants south of the Beltline either, except for a Bridgeman's, which was located in the current Park Bank building.

If the recently reconstructed Fish Hatchery Rd replaced pavement from the 1990s, it was constructed extremely bad. Concrete shouldn't fail that terribly over that amount of time.
IIRC, the pavement north of the golf course area dated back to at least circa mid-80's.
"Speed does not kill, suddenly becoming stationary... that's what gets you" - Jeremy Clarkson

peterj920

US 151/Blair Street getting a much needed reconstruction. Traffic will be a mess with a closure but construction is way overdue since all the joints failed and there's asphalt patching between each slab.

JoePCool14

Does anyone know when the Beltline flex-lane will actually be functional? I drove through Madison yesterday and the signs were still covered up.

:) Needs more... :sombrero: Not quite... :bigass: Perfect.
JDOT: We make the world a better place to drive.
Travel Mapping | 60+ Clinches | 260+ Traveled | 8000+ Miles Logged

JREwing78

Quote from: JoePCool14 on March 21, 2022, 10:28:13 AM
Does anyone know when the Beltline flex-lane will actually be functional? I drove through Madison yesterday and the signs were still covered up.

It's supposed to go live sometime this summer.

JoePCool14

Quote from: JREwing78 on March 21, 2022, 08:34:49 PM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on March 21, 2022, 10:28:13 AM
Does anyone know when the Beltline flex-lane will actually be functional? I drove through Madison yesterday and the signs were still covered up.
It's supposed to go live sometime this summer.

So that means I would have to make a special trip out just to see it in action. Unfortunate. :-(

:) Needs more... :sombrero: Not quite... :bigass: Perfect.
JDOT: We make the world a better place to drive.
Travel Mapping | 60+ Clinches | 260+ Traveled | 8000+ Miles Logged

peterj920

Quote from: JoePCool14 on March 22, 2022, 08:13:55 AM
Quote from: JREwing78 on March 21, 2022, 08:34:49 PM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on March 21, 2022, 10:28:13 AM
Does anyone know when the Beltline flex-lane will actually be functional? I drove through Madison yesterday and the signs were still covered up.
It's supposed to go live sometime this summer.

So that means I would have to make a special trip out just to see it in action. Unfortunate. :-(

A chip shortage along with the decision to add an auxiliary lane at Todd Drive is delaying the lanes from becoming active.

SSOWorld

Quote from: peterj920 on March 23, 2022, 01:56:45 AM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on March 22, 2022, 08:13:55 AM
Quote from: JREwing78 on March 21, 2022, 08:34:49 PM
Quote from: JoePCool14 on March 21, 2022, 10:28:13 AM
Does anyone know when the Beltline flex-lane will actually be functional? I drove through Madison yesterday and the signs were still covered up.
It's supposed to go live sometime this summer.

So that means I would have to make a special trip out just to see it in action. Unfortunate. :-(

A chip shortage along with the decision to add an auxiliary lane at Todd Drive is delaying the lanes from becoming active.
They have an auxiliary lane at Todd Drive.
Scott O.

Not all who wander are lost...
Ah, the open skies, wind at my back, warm sun on my... wait, where the hell am I?!
As a matter of fact, I do own the road.
Raise your what?

Wisconsin - out-multiplexing your state since 1918.

triplemultiplex

Quote from: SSOWorld on March 23, 2022, 06:53:47 AM
They have an auxiliary lane at Todd Drive.

They are extending the aux lane that comes on at Verona Road to just past Todd.  It will require expansion of the existing EB bridge over Todd.  Seminole onramp and EB Todd exit are closed all spring.
"That's just like... your opinion, man."

triplemultiplex

The EB Beltline aux lane extension is complete and open. So we must be mere days away from activating the flex lane.

Even without the flex lane running, that aux lane is very useful.  It gets added at Verona Rd and becomes the exit only lane for Fish Hatchery Road.  That makes it the most substantial capacity improvement for the middle part of The Beltline in decades.  (At least until that flex lane starts operation.)
"That's just like... your opinion, man."

JREwing78

Welcome news, indeed. It'll be interesting to see what the effects on traffic are when fully opened up.

triplemultiplex

I can see a future pain point for the flex lane EB approaching 39/90 because it ends at the same place where the onramp from Stoughton Road is coming in.  So there will be a spot here where essentially 6 lanes of traffic are pinching down to 3 with the 3 GP lanes and the flex lane on the Beltline plus a two-lane onramp.  That's going to be a source of daily backups until WisDOT endeavors to add an aux lane between Stoughton Road and 39/90.

I must say, the new overhead BGS signage is much more helpful in being true to reality with the "arrow per lane" standard.  EB approaching 39/90, the signage used to make it seem like only the left lane was the exit to go NB on 39/90 an only once one gets to the old SB bridge over 12/18 does one see that the middle lane is either/or.  The new signs make this arrangement abundantly clear well before the gore, which I like.

Last night, on the way back from happy hour, crews were installing new BGS's around Todd Dr and VMS overheads were saying something to the effect of "Flex Lane Testing in Progress".  Makes me think it'll be up and running right after the holiday.
"That's just like... your opinion, man."

hobsini2

Quote from: triplemultiplex on June 28, 2022, 11:57:05 AM
I can see a future pain point for the flex lane EB approaching 39/90 because it ends at the same place where the onramp from Stoughton Road is coming in.  So there will be a spot here where essentially 6 lanes of traffic are pinching down to 3 with the 3 GP lanes and the flex lane on the Beltline plus a two-lane onramp.  That's going to be a source of daily backups until WisDOT endeavors to add an aux lane between Stoughton Road and 39/90.

I must say, the new overhead BGS signage is much more helpful in being true to reality with the "arrow per lane" standard.  EB approaching 39/90, the signage used to make it seem like only the left lane was the exit to go NB on 39/90 an only once one gets to the old SB bridge over 12/18 does one see that the middle lane is either/or.  The new signs make this arrangement abundantly clear well before the gore, which I like.

Last night, on the way back from happy hour, crews were installing new BGS's around Todd Dr and VMS overheads were saying something to the effect of "Flex Lane Testing in Progress".  Makes me think it'll be up and running right after the holiday.

There should be aux lanes between each interchange of the Beltline from University to I-39/90.

It's one of the thing that always gets me about places that have bottleneck spots. I have to deal with one almost daily by me on I-55. Never understood why they didn't make an aux lane between Route 53 and I-355, both directions, when they built the 355 extension.
I knew it. I'm surrounded by assholes. Keep firing, assholes! - Dark Helmet (Spaceballs)

SSOWorld

The beltline doesn't experience the amount of traffic outside W. Broadway to Verona Road as within.
Scott O.

Not all who wander are lost...
Ah, the open skies, wind at my back, warm sun on my... wait, where the hell am I?!
As a matter of fact, I do own the road.
Raise your what?

Wisconsin - out-multiplexing your state since 1918.

The Ghostbuster

I would settle for more ramp meters on on-ramps. For example, when the Verona Road interchange was reconstructed, I am surprised ramp meters weren't placed on its on-ramps.

JREwing78

Quote from: hobsini2 on June 28, 2022, 03:12:52 PM
There should be aux lanes between each interchange of the Beltline from University to I-39/90.

It's one of the thing that always gets me about places that have bottleneck spots. I have to deal with one almost daily by me on I-55. Never understood why they didn't make an aux lane between Route 53 and I-355, both directions, when they built the 355 extension.

I wholeheartedly agree with this. The stupid thing is WisDOT *almost* accomplishes this between Mineral Point Rd and Gammon Rd with their long on and off-ramps between the two exits. There is *maybe* 1/4 mile of separation between the end of one and the beginning of the other. Absurd.

There is basically one between Whitney Way and Gammon Rd westbound, as the far-right lane turns into the exit ramp for Gammon Rd and the road narrows to 2 lanes westbound.

For all the other interchanges to University Ave, the traffic levels and amount of weaving/merging traffic definitely merit aux lanes. This will become a major pain point until WisDOT finally creates them. The 4 mainline travel lanes are fine for right now west of Gammon Rd, particularly if the aux lanes are built out.

EBD east of Gammon Rd really needs to be the mirror of WBD, with the on-ramp from Gammon Rd forming the 3rd mainline travel lane. Or, start the 3rd eastbound travel lane at the Gammon Rd overpass so that Gammon Rd traffic can more safely merge. It's better once you get to Whitney Way as traffic can spread out before Verona Rd. But the point that Gammon Rd EBD on-ramp traffic meets the EBD mainline traffic is a bit dicey simply due to traffic volume.

tchafe1978

The new flex lanes are scheduled to open on Wednesday morning. It will be interesting to see how quickly people adapt to them and how much effect they have on traffic.

dvferyance

Quote from: SSOWorld on October 25, 2021, 08:12:59 PM
Quote from: peterj920 on October 25, 2021, 02:52:33 AM
The next few weeks will have several Madison construction projects wrap up. County D/Fish Hatchery Rd will be completed by next week, the Beltline Interchange will be completely open, and The Beltline Flex Lane project is nearly complete. Sadly, it may be the end of the remaining button copy signs on I-39/I-90.
Happily it will be the end of Clearview in Wisconsin. (though in favor of APLs)
It was there last month it appears they missed replacing one clearview sign.

The Ghostbuster

My mother has seemed unimpressed with the new flex lanes along the Beltine. I doubt she will personally ever use them.

thspfc

Quote from: dvferyance on July 11, 2022, 12:01:42 PM
Quote from: SSOWorld on October 25, 2021, 08:12:59 PM
Quote from: peterj920 on October 25, 2021, 02:52:33 AM
The next few weeks will have several Madison construction projects wrap up. County D/Fish Hatchery Rd will be completed by next week, the Beltline Interchange will be completely open, and The Beltline Flex Lane project is nearly complete. Sadly, it may be the end of the remaining button copy signs on I-39/I-90.
Happily it will be the end of Clearview in Wisconsin. (though in favor of APLs)
It was there last month it appears they missed replacing one clearview sign.
At least one WB Beltline sign for Rimrock is still clearview.

thspfc

Quote from: The Ghostbuster on July 11, 2022, 12:20:22 PM
My mother has seemed unimpressed with the new flex lanes along the Beltine. I doubt she will personally ever use them.
They look narrow to me.

I'm sure the flex lanes will provide some relief, but if the Madison area continues to grow quickly, it won't be long before the Beltline is swarmed by traffic just as badly as it was before the project.

triplemultiplex

I've set myself up in Madison so I don't need the Beltline during peak hours, so it might be a while before I get to try out the flex lane.

It has been my contention from the start that it will basically turn 6 lanes of congestion into 8 lanes of congestion.  It's all the merging that creates the problems; everyone queuing up to get off EB at Verona Rd, the weave between South Towne and Nolen, the weave between Park and Fish Hatch.  The big test of that hypothesis starts soon.  But I guess it will be great for those poor bastards who have to traverse the length of the beltline on their commutes. But since most traffic gets off 2 or 3 exits from where they got on, that flex lane won't directly help them; at least the way most people in this city drive: move over way early and stay there until your exit.
"That's just like... your opinion, man."

dvferyance

Quote from: thspfc on July 11, 2022, 04:08:26 PM
Quote from: dvferyance on July 11, 2022, 12:01:42 PM
Quote from: SSOWorld on October 25, 2021, 08:12:59 PM
Quote from: peterj920 on October 25, 2021, 02:52:33 AM
The next few weeks will have several Madison construction projects wrap up. County D/Fish Hatchery Rd will be completed by next week, the Beltline Interchange will be completely open, and The Beltline Flex Lane project is nearly complete. Sadly, it may be the end of the remaining button copy signs on I-39/I-90.
Happily it will be the end of Clearview in Wisconsin. (though in favor of APLs)
It was there last month it appears they missed replacing one clearview sign.
At least one WB Beltline sign for Rimrock is still clearview.
I think that is the one I saw. I like it now that Rimrock is now signed as Hwy MM as it is south of the Beltline. Kind of like for many years Moorland Rd was not signed Hwy O.

on_wisconsin

The FlexLane project offically open to traffic yesterday around mid afternoon:



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

mgk920

I'm wondering how long it will be before the first disabled car gets rear-ended hard in that lane.

Mike



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