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Regional Boards => Great Lakes and Ohio Valley => Topic started by: Badger39 on July 30, 2019, 06:04:25 PM

Title: Historical perspective - Hwy 12 through Fort Atkinson
Post by: Badger39 on July 30, 2019, 06:04:25 PM
Can someone kindly tell me the logic of South US Hwy 12 going through a different section of the city than North US HWY 12?  The road can be used in both directions on both routes.
Title: Re: Historical perspective - Hwy 12 through Fort Atkinson
Post by: The Ghostbuster on July 30, 2019, 06:52:36 PM
I don't know the logic of North and South US 12 going through different parts of the city. I do know that might have become a moot point if the US 12 bypass study of Fort Atkinson had gone forward, but the study was suspended in 2012 (at 90% completion). I don't know when it will restart.
Title: Re: Historical perspective - Hwy 12 through Fort Atkinson
Post by: SEWIGuy on July 30, 2019, 10:18:14 PM
Quote from: Badger39 on July 30, 2019, 06:04:25 PM
Can someone kindly tell me the logic of South US Hwy 12 going through a different section of the city than North US HWY 12?  The road can be used in both directions on both routes.

I'm pretty sure it's just so that both bridges over the Rock River are part of the state highway system.
Title: Re: Historical perspective - Hwy 12 through Fort Atkinson
Post by: NE2 on July 31, 2019, 09:56:43 PM
Quote from: SEWIGuy on July 30, 2019, 10:18:14 PM
Quote from: Badger39 on July 30, 2019, 06:04:25 PM
Can someone kindly tell me the logic of South US Hwy 12 going through a different section of the city than North US HWY 12?  The road can be used in both directions on both routes.

I'm pretty sure it's just so that both bridges over the Rock River are part of the state highway system.
Except neither is: http://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/travel/road/hwy-maps/jefferson.pdf
Title: Re: Historical perspective - Hwy 12 through Fort Atkinson
Post by: SEWIGuy on August 01, 2019, 09:37:05 AM
Quote from: NE2 on July 31, 2019, 09:56:43 PM
Quote from: SEWIGuy on July 30, 2019, 10:18:14 PM
Quote from: Badger39 on July 30, 2019, 06:04:25 PM
Can someone kindly tell me the logic of South US Hwy 12 going through a different section of the city than North US HWY 12?  The road can be used in both directions on both routes.

I'm pretty sure it's just so that both bridges over the Rock River are part of the state highway system.
Except neither is: http://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/travel/road/hwy-maps/jefferson.pdf


Yes they are.  The state takes care of major projects involving the bridges.

For example:

https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/projects/by-region/sw/us12-robertstreet/default.aspx

The state also took care of replacing the Main Street bridge downtown about 15 years ago.
Title: Re: Historical perspective - Hwy 12 through Fort Atkinson
Post by: hobsini2 on August 04, 2019, 12:33:44 PM
If I recall to my youth (30 years or so ago), at one point, US 12 and Wis 26 were on one way streets in Ft Atkinson. The WB 12/NB 26 was on Main St between Milwaukee Ave and Madison Ave/3rd St. The EB 12/SB 26 was on Robert St between Madison Ave and Milwaukee Ave. EB US 12 I believe did utilize Milwaukee Ave between Robert St and Main St. WB 12 utilized Madison Ave.
Title: Re: Historical perspective - Hwy 12 through Fort Atkinson
Post by: SEWIGuy on August 05, 2019, 09:14:40 AM
Quote from: hobsini2 on August 04, 2019, 12:33:44 PM
If I recall to my youth (30 years or so ago), at one point, US 12 and Wis 26 were on one way streets in Ft Atkinson. The WB 12/NB 26 was on Main St between Milwaukee Ave and Madison Ave/3rd St. The EB 12/SB 26 was on Robert St between Madison Ave and Milwaukee Ave. EB US 12 I believe did utilize Milwaukee Ave between Robert St and Main St. WB 12 utilized Madison Ave.


So I lived in Fort Atkinson from the mid-90s until last year and that was never the case when I was there.  I did find this, which is a narrative of the proposed US-12 bypass of Fort Atkinson.

https://books.google.com/books?id=ZKs2AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA43&lpg=PA43&dq=fort+atkinson+one+way+pair+us-12&source=bl&ots=ezs6NH21lT&sig=ACfU3U2jy6PYhhJ9V2F_LYtYRI-TLj7cRg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwil0-f15uvjAhWOWM0KHeAVCJkQ6AEwAHoECAgQAQ#v=onepage&q=fort%20atkinson%20one%20way%20pair%20us-12&f=false

This states that a one-way pair was considered for a time in the late 1960s, but not implemented.  I think the implication is that if this one-way pair did exist at one time, it would have been mentioned.  So I don't think that was the case.
Title: Re: Historical perspective - Hwy 12 through Fort Atkinson
Post by: SEWIGuy on August 06, 2019, 12:53:00 PM
Some more research.  The split routing was done in 1983-84 to route more traffic off of Main Street and onto the Robert Street bridge crossing.  One way routings were considered, but ultimately the City felt it would be too hard for residents to access various parts of the city.