Wisconsin notes

[TheHighwayMan3561]

By the way, I got the impression that whatever department is responsible for cleaning up roadkill seems to have been gutted...

[GeekJedi]

It does seem like monotube traffic signals are the wave of the future here in Wisconsin. Although I'm sure plenty of horizontal signals will still be constructed.

Hardly perhaps at a few occasional minor intersections and that is about it. The old style arm is still being used sometimes but the light is hung vertically. I never understood myself when Wisconsin once had a very unusual traffic light setup. It would be nice to know the history as to why it was picked for some reason.

Me too. Growing up here, I always thought that the horizontal traffic signal was just how everyone did it. Then I went to other states and found it so odd that they mounted theirs vertically!

[SEWIGuy]

By the way, I got the impression that whatever department is responsible for cleaning up roadkill seems to have been gutted...

I appreciate the play on words...

[triplemultiplex]

By the way, I got the impression that whatever department is responsible for cleaning up roadkill seems to have been gutted...

WisDOT stopped compensating county highway/sheriff departments for time spent clearing roadkill some 15 years ago, so unless it presents an immediate traffic hazard, it is left to rot in place.

[mgk920]

WisDOT appears, at least here in the Appleton area, to be moving very quickly to eliminate the ubiquitous 'trombone arm' horizontal overhead traffic signals from intersections on roads that they control.  Right now, there are two separate projects that do that in the western part of the metro area, WI 125 (College Ave) from I-41 eastward to the railroad yard bridge and WI 15 (Northland Ave and Greenville Rd) from I-41 westward through the Greenville area.



Mike

Wis 32/Ashland Ave is also undergoing signal replacement with the construction project going on now. WISDOT is going to be replacing signals on every multilane road project from here on out.  The resurfacing of Wis 125 is badly needed and I'm looking forward to the smoother surface. 


Within Green Bay itself they've been using monotubes for years.  Only difference is that they were horizontal in the past and now they're being mounted vertically.

I note that on the W College Ave (WI 125) 'strip' project (they've been cutting in the new signals this week, BTW), the overhead 'trombone arms' that face a couple of the cross streets (Perkins St and Lilas Dr, in particular) look like they're being left in place.

Interesting.

Mike

[peterj920]

WISDOT is leaving in place horizontal signals where there's a single lane.

[mgk920]

They're leaving the cross-street facing trombone arms in place at College Ave (WI 125)/Kools St/Westhill Bd (first intersection east of I-41), too.

Mike

[Milwaukee, WY]

WISDOT is leaving in place horizontal signals where there's a single lane.

Not so much. They might use the trombone arms in certain cases, but they're almost exclusively mounting the signal heads vertically.

[mgk920]

WISDOT is leaving in place horizontal signals where there's a single lane.

Not so much. They might use the trombone arms in certain cases, but they're almost exclusively mounting the signal heads vertically.

So far, they've left the horizontals in place at those College Ave intersections.

Mike

[Big John]

Are they using yellow borders with the new signals too?

[Milwaukee, WY]

WISDOT is leaving in place horizontal signals where there's a single lane.

Not so much. They might use the trombone arms in certain cases, but they're almost exclusively mounting the signal heads vertically.

So far, they've left the horizontals in place at those College Ave intersections.

Mike

Could be different for SeWI. There are a bunch of intersections around Milwaukee Metro that have single vertical heads on monotubes and/or trombone arms.

Also, Milwaukee city is rapidly turning their overhead signals from horizontal to vertical on their weird concrete pole/mast arm signals.

[Milwaukee, WY]

Are they using yellow borders with the new signals too?

In some cases, but not frequently.

[paulthemapguy]

WISDOT is leaving in place horizontal signals where there's a single lane.

I think a lot of agencies across the country are adopting the "signal head per lane" rule.  So if there's just one lane in the approach to an intersection, that single overhead signal head will suffice.  This also applies if there are two lanes, whether the second lane is a turn lane or not (you're required to have 2 signal heads minimum anyway).  Anything more than that, and WisDOT will probably change to a monotube with multiple signal heads strung along it?  Does this sound right?

[Milwaukee, WY]

WISDOT is leaving in place horizontal signals where there's a single lane.

I think a lot of agencies across the country are adopting the "signal head per lane" rule.  So if there's just one lane in the approach to an intersection, that single overhead signal head will suffice.  This also applies if there are two lanes, whether the second lane is a turn lane or not (you're required to have 2 signal heads minimum anyway).  Anything more than that, and WisDOT will probably change to a monotube with multiple signal heads strung along it?  Does this sound right?

That sounds correct. I also seem to recall reading in the Wisconsin MUTCD supplement that for WisDOT installations, if one approach requires a monotube, that all approaches shall have at least one vertically mounted overhead signal. I could be wrong about that though.

[dvferyance]

Are they using yellow borders with the new signals too?

I have seen very few of them in Wisconsin. Indiana and Ohio are using them a lot.

[20160805]

The WI 125 FYA installation prompts a question from me: what was wrong with the existing phase configuration?  What are the benefits of FYA's, and if it wasn't broke, why are they fixing it? 

[mgk920]

The WI 125 FYA installation prompts a question from me: what was wrong with the existing phase configuration?  What are the benefits of FYA's, and if it wasn't broke, why are they fixing it? 

'FYA' allows vehicles to make a permissive (not protected) turn while oncoming traffic has a green/green left arrow, allowing greater flexibility in signal sequencing.

Mike

[peterj920]

WISDOT is leaving in place horizontal signals where there's a single lane.

Not so much. They might use the trombone arms in certain cases, but they're almost exclusively mounting the signal heads vertically.

At the US 41/County B interchange in Suamico, horizontal overhead lights with trombone arms were installed with FYA signals mounted on poles at the median and the far left. 

US 12/County AA east of Eau Claire is another recent horizontal trombone mast install

[Milwaukee, WY]

WISDOT is leaving in place horizontal signals where there's a single lane.

Not so much. They might use the trombone arms in certain cases, but they're almost exclusively mounting the signal heads vertically.

At the US 41/County B interchange in Suamico, horizontal overhead lights with trombone arms were installed with FYA signals mounted on poles at the median and the far left. 

US 12/County AA east of Eau Claire is another recent horizontal trombone mast install

Just speculation, but I'd guess that those signals probably aren't owned by WisDOT. In those cases, they're probably the county's responsibility. But I might be completely wrong...

[peterj920]

They're WISDOT installed.  They were on the 6 year highway plan and WISDOT made a press release after install.

[JMAN_WiS&S]

Speaking of Eau Claire, we are not far away from havil alot fewer horizontally mounted trombone setups. All of the mainline US12/Clairemont Ave signals extending over the 3 lane sections will be replaced with monotubes soon, 2 lanes around here have been getting the vertical trombone from the right and from the median on the left treatment.

[peterj920]

It looks like WISDOT is abandoning plans for a US 10 eastern bypass of Stevens Point.  They plan on abandoning future mapping of a new corridor.  There was a Public Hearing about 2 weeks ago.

http://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/projects/by-region/nc/us10portage/default.aspx

[mgk920]

It looks like WISDOT is abandoning plans for a US 10 eastern bypass of Stevens Point.  They plan on abandoning future mapping of a new corridor.  There was a Public Hearing about 2 weeks ago.

http://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/projects/by-region/nc/us10portage/default.aspx

And we'll ultimately end up with a Texas-style freeway setup for the part between County 'J' and I-39.  I've been doing detailed map scribblings on this off and on over the past year or so.  I've found the part east of about Badger Av to be remarkably simple and straightforward to upgrade.  Think: 'narrow median freeway' - there's enough room in the median for an entirely new interstate-compatible EB roadway with the existing EB side to become a frontage road.  The part from Badger Av on westward would have to look and function like an urbanized freeway in Texas or metro Detroit.

---

Two decades of planning work for this very needed system upgrade and nothing to show for it.  Wastefully sad.



Mike

[The Ghostbuster]

The webpage said that 30,000 cars use the existing US 10 corridor, at present. And that 18,000 cars would continue to use the existing US 10 corridor, even if the new alignment is constructed. My guess is they will close the books on the new alignment, and start a new study to make improvements to the existing alignment.

[SSOWorld]

Update on the US 151 BGS replacements - Various Exit BGSs have been replaced further northeast to Dodgeville.  Updated so far:

(***Omitted completed interchanges)
* Exit 8 (US61/WIS35/CTH HH) - NB removed Lancaster as a control city leaving only Dickeyville. Neither SB signthe ramp sign is now replaced. nor the SB and NB advance signs were not yet replaced. (NOTE: Great River Road is still shown on SB signs - this would ideally removed and paired with the "Scenic Byway" shields on unisigns to match northbound and Exit 1's updates from 2015.) All signs replaced - A new sign added indicating SB 61 and 35 ahead (as in follow 151), also added unisign style GRR directionals in both directions to compensate for the removal from BGS's
* Exit 21 (CTH XX/Bus 151 Platteville) - Signs were replaced with CTH XX being featured route and US 151 shield now a wide one.   (BR 151 is still shown SB only). Contractors did not replace the sign prior to the SB ramp yet. Completed
* Exit 44 (WIS 23) - All signs replaced - no Spring Green on the signs - wide 151 on through sign, brown HOTR
So far this is the extent of the work - some other notes:
It seems they're not going to do anything with the signs in Barneveld or Mt Horeb - which is sad since said signs need the most work. (especially just greening out the BRs in Horeb and plopping TO WIS 92 over it)

Also add signs around Verona:
* Exit 70 (CTH PD/P) No wording changes, just new signs.
* Exit 75 (CTH G)No wording changes, just new signs
* Exit 76 (Bus 18/151 Verona Ave/Epic Lane) CTH MV was removed (seems the route was removed - being redundant).  The WB Sign does omit the BRs  Ironically the 151 shield is still a 2d.
* Exits 77 (US 69 Verona/Monroe) and 79 (CTH PB/M) no wording changes, just new signs.  Didn't think that MV was already retired for a while, I just don't pay attention
* Exit 81 (Bus 18/151 Verona Ave) Previously had Verona (the city) as its control, now has the street - 151 is a wide shield.

A few weeks ago, the 151 BGSs from the interstate to the Reiner Rd/Grand Ave interchange were replaced as well. The biggest change I noticed were some arrows being moved on a few of the overheads and the borders being added to the 'Exit Only' tabs. I imagine more will be replaced to the north as work progresses on 151 through the city of Sun Prairie.

Updates above.

Also: The overhead signs on I-90 C-D lanes at the Madison 151 Cloverleaf were replaced - the hideous 2d squeezed shields are now 3d shields.  The NB BGSs were 3D except for the pre-gore.  The SBs are still 2D.
Also - the distance signs at the points between that interchange and the Badger as well as between the Badger and Beltline were replaced.  The text only route #s were replaced with shields.  Guess what size the 151 shield is.     

3d <--- answer here.

Additionally, they seemed to have taken down the NB diagram sign at the NB 1 Mile point.  They put up a sign with WIS 30 and the Airport symbol as well as the I-94 usual.  No pull-through sign for the threesome.