Wisconsin notes

[mgk920]

So what happened to the big plan for rebuilding Wisconsin Dells Parkway that they were studying about five years ago?

Like many other study projects, when the study ended, it got shelved until design money becomes available/it becomes a programmed project.

Never heard about that. I don't think the Dells Pkwy needs that much work anyways.

Take a drive up there during the day anytime between now and Labor Day, and your opinion will change. The Ped Hybrid Signals improved the situation slightly for pedestrians, but left turns along the corridor are still a major headache/hazard.

I drove it about a month ago, and it wasn't that terrible, but I guess I hit it at a good time.

It's kind of like all of that traffic piling onto SB I-41 in the Green Bay area after Packer games.  OTOH, that situation was somewhat alleviated with the I-41 rebuild a few years ago and will likely be an historical anomaly once the rest of the highway can be upgraded to six lanes southward into the Appleton area.

Mike

[gr8daynegb]

So what happened to the big plan for rebuilding Wisconsin Dells Parkway that they were studying about five years ago?

Like many other study projects, when the study ended, it got shelved until design money becomes available/it becomes a programmed project.

Never heard about that. I don't think the Dells Pkwy needs that much work anyways.

Take a drive up there during the day anytime between now and Labor Day, and your opinion will change. The Ped Hybrid Signals improved the situation slightly for pedestrians, but left turns along the corridor are still a major headache/hazard.

I drove it about a month ago, and it wasn't that terrible, but I guess I hit it at a good time.

Always depends the time of day, day of week, season, and weather as to the traffic you get.  If you are a local you know the backroads to avoid most of the congestion.  But during peak times driving 13/16/23 or driving 12/23 and 12 until end of Lake Delton  can be at a snails pace.  The US 12 Bypass helped as well as the old US 12 to Baraboo used to have it's issues(many accidents by casino).

[peterj920]

Received my 2019-2020 Wisconsin State Map. Tony Evers and Mandella Barnes are together on the picture. Looking like freeways that that have a speed limit of 55 with the exception of interstates and Wis 172 and Wis 30 are going to continue to be mapped as simply "multilane divided."  Even US 151 between I-39/90/94 and Reiner Rd is not shown as a freeway eventhough it is. The Madison Beltline, Wis 11 around Monroe, Wis 145, Wis 175, and Wis 119 freeway stretches continue to not be mapped as freeways.

US 45 between Antigo and Deerbrook is multilane divided but has never been mapped for it. I wonder why? The short stretch of US 10 between Wis 80 and Marshfield continues to be shown as 2 lanes eventhough it's 4 lanes.

[dvferyance]

Received my 2019-2020 Wisconsin State Map. Tony Evers and Mandella Barnes are together on the picture. Looking like freeways that that have a speed limit of 55 with the exception of interstates and Wis 172 and Wis 30 are going to continue to be mapped as simply "multilane divided."  Even US 151 between I-39/90/94 and Reiner Rd is not shown as a freeway eventhough it is. The Madison Beltline, Wis 11 around Monroe, Wis 145, Wis 175, and Wis 119 freeway stretches continue to not be mapped as freeways.

US 45 between Antigo and Deerbrook is multilane divided but has never been mapped for it. I wonder why? The short stretch of US 10 between Wis 80 and Marshfield continues to be shown as 2 lanes eventhough it's 4 lanes.

Looks like I will be hanging on to my 2015 map for awhile longer. Strange that Barnes would be in the picture instead of Kathy Evers. I never recall Rebecca Klefisch or Barbara Lawton ever being on state maps.

[SEWIGuy]

Received my 2019-2020 Wisconsin State Map. Tony Evers and Mandella Barnes are together on the picture. Looking like freeways that that have a speed limit of 55 with the exception of interstates and Wis 172 and Wis 30 are going to continue to be mapped as simply "multilane divided."  Even US 151 between I-39/90/94 and Reiner Rd is not shown as a freeway eventhough it is. The Madison Beltline, Wis 11 around Monroe, Wis 145, Wis 175, and Wis 119 freeway stretches continue to not be mapped as freeways.

US 45 between Antigo and Deerbrook is multilane divided but has never been mapped for it. I wonder why? The short stretch of US 10 between Wis 80 and Marshfield continues to be shown as 2 lanes eventhough it's 4 lanes.

Looks like I will be hanging on to my 2015 map for awhile longer. Strange that Barnes would be in the picture instead of Kathy Evers. I never recall Rebecca Klefisch or Barbara Lawton ever being on state maps.

"I'm going to hold onto an outdated map because I'm butthurt over an election result."

[The Ghostbuster]

Just ordered one for myself and my mother. She's going to be very happy the map no longer has Walker's ugly mug on it.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Not to play mod, but we already flooded one thread about the WI governor's photo on a map and that thread WASN'T EVEN ABOUT WISCONSIN.

So I'll just ask since I can't do anything to actually stop anyone, but can we please not?

[thspfc]

Not to play mod, but we already flooded one thread about the WI governor's photo on a map and that thread WASN'T EVEN ABOUT WISCONSIN.

So I'll just ask since I can't do anything to actually stop anyone, but can we please not?

I agree, I don't know what everybody is on about. Nobody really cares about your political stance.

[SEWIGuy]

Not to play mod, but we already flooded one thread about the WI governor's photo on a map and that thread WASN'T EVEN ABOUT WISCONSIN.

So I'll just ask since I can't do anything to actually stop anyone, but can we please not?

Report the post and quit whining.

[JMAN_WiS&S]

Its been a fat minute since I've made a post here, but I've been busy with life.

-The Eau Claire area went from almost exclusively horizontal trombone mounted signals to mostly vertically mounted monotube or trombone arms, with most of the holdouts being city approaches on wisdot owned roads, or city owned signals completely.

-NWRegion has been very quickly going around and changing all horizontal signals on monotubes to be oriented vertically on approaches with speeds of 45+, even where signal head per lane had already existed. I presume this is to promote uniformity.

-NWRegion has also been exclusively using reflective yellow borders on ALL signals (above roadway and on poles) on approaches 45+ mph.

-The 1st gen wisdot spec'd "Pixel" LED modules are also nearly extinct in the Chippewa valley, with a few stragglers forgotten, and surprisingly the two intersections on old US 53 in Eau Claire, now owned by the city, that did not get the update when NWR came around replacing modules two years ago.

-NWR is also nearly complete with converting all state owned roadway lighting to LED in the area.

-I've noticed bigger signs on roads with speeds above 45mph have been appearing, especially along US 12 in Eau Claire. Not sure if there was an update to MUTCD, but these signs seem quite comical at times, as they almost seem bigger than they need to be.

Thats all as far as updates go from me

[DaBigE]

-I've noticed bigger signs on roads with speeds above 45mph have been appearing, especially along US 12 in Eau Claire. Not sure if there was an update to MUTCD, but these signs seem quite comical at times, as they almost seem bigger than they need to be.

They were likely undersized to begin with. The section of TEOpS manual (fka the TGM) pertaining to sign size hasn't been updated in nearly 9 years. Per TEOpS 2-01-35, signs on multilane conventional (non expwy/fwy) roadways with a posted speed of 45 or greater are supposed to be size 3.

[gr8daynegb]

Not to play mod, but we already flooded one thread about the WI governor's photo on a map and that thread WASN'T EVEN ABOUT WISCONSIN.

So I'll just ask since I can't do anything to actually stop anyone, but can we please not?

Report the post and quit whining.

I thought we had bigger things to worry about than picture of politician that's no bigger than the size of a quarter on a map.  Quite frankly anyone that judges morality based by party affiliation needs to check themselves.  But to discuss politics anywhere is --->     

[JREwing78]

So, apparently WisDOT and Iowa County can't figure out how to correctly create a detour. The US-18/151 split at Dodgeville is closed and drivers are *supposed* to take Highway 23 through Dodgeville. Instead, they're taking County YZ to County Y, and so far there's been over 25 accidents at this at-grade intersection, including FOUR accidents in the span of one hour last Sunday.

This leads one to wonder: why haven't they just shut down County Y west of this intersection until the US-18 detour is over?

https://www.channel3000.com/news/sheriff-says-after-dozens-of-crashes-at-iowa-county-intersection-he-fears-a-fatality-could-be-next/1113581844

[JMAN_WiS&S]

So, apparently WisDOT and Iowa County can't figure out how to correctly create a detour. The US-18/151 split at Dodgeville is closed and drivers are *supposed* to take Highway 23 through Dodgeville. Instead, they're taking County YZ to County Y, and so far there's been over 25 accidents at this at-grade intersection, including FOUR accidents in the span of one hour last Sunday.

This leads one to wonder: why haven't they just shut down County Y west of this intersection until the US-18 detour is over?

https://www.channel3000.com/news/sheriff-says-after-dozens-of-crashes-at-iowa-county-intersection-he-fears-a-fatality-could-be-next/1113581844

I am familiar with the area and that intersection is not designed to handle a large volume of traffic. Quite dangerous. Intersection needs to be closed until construction is done. Guarantee nothing will happen though.

[DaBigE]

So, apparently WisDOT and Iowa County can't figure out how to correctly create a detour. The US-18/151 split at Dodgeville is closed and drivers are *supposed* to take Highway 23 through Dodgeville. Instead, they're taking County YZ to County Y, and so far there's been over 25 accidents at this at-grade intersection, including FOUR accidents in the span of one hour last Sunday.

This leads one to wonder: why haven't they just shut down County Y west of this intersection until the US-18 detour is over?

https://www.channel3000.com/news/sheriff-says-after-dozens-of-crashes-at-iowa-county-intersection-he-fears-a-fatality-could-be-next/1113581844

Wait, so the DOT is at-fault because people aren't following the posted detour?

[SEWIGuy]

That intersection should have been permanently closed awhile ago.  Too much traffic uses it as a short cut even during "regular" times.

[The Ghostbuster]

Aren't they planning on putting an interchange at CTH-YZ (old US 18/151 prior to 1982) eventually, as part of the US 18/151 Freeway Conversion Study (https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/projects/by-region/sw/18151study/default.aspx)? Maybe that interchange should be built sooner rather than later.

[tchafe1978]

Most of the people using County YZ are Lands' End employees heading too and from Madison, and YZ heads right past Lands' End HQ. I bet at rush hour, those waiting 10+ cars deep to turn onto 18-151 waste just as much time waiting in line as they would to take the posted detour. Then people get impatient and try to jump a gap and end up pulling out in front of somebody. I've seen many near misses even without the construction. It should either be closed until construction is over or made into right-in right-out only, and close the median. That planned interchange needs to be built yesterday, and I'm surprised the one by Ridgeway was built before this one.

[JMAN_WiS&S]

Most of the people using County YZ are Lands' End employees heading too and from Madison, and YZ heads right past Lands' End HQ. I bet at rush hour, those waiting 10+ cars deep to turn onto 18-151 waste just as much time waiting in line as they would to take the posted detour. Then people get impatient and try to jump a gap and end up pulling out in front of somebody. I've seen many near misses even without the construction. It should either be closed until construction is over or made into right-in right-out only, and close the median. That planned interchange needs to be built yesterday, and I'm surprised the one by Ridgeway was built before this one.

In all my times passing that interchange a week, I've never once seen a car utilize the new Ridgeway interchange (except when I did to check it out after it opened). Perhaps I just go by at the wrong times?

[SSOWorld]

I had two cars (one from each direction) turn in front of me blocking both lanes.  I had to quickly find out which was the fastest asshole ahead of me before I rear-ended one of them.

[triplemultiplex]

Looking like freeways that that have a speed limit of 55 with the exception of interstates and Wis 172 and Wis 30 are going to continue to be mapped as simply "multilane divided."  Even US 151 between I-39/90/94 and Reiner Rd is not shown as a freeway eventhough it is. The Madison Beltline, Wis 11 around Monroe, Wis 145, Wis 175, and Wis 119 freeway stretches continue to not be mapped as freeways.

Boooooo!!!
It's 2019; there's no excuse for making a map worse with incorrect road classifications.
That's the reason to hold on to some old copy.  Before they ruined it with these BS freeway demotions.

[skluth]

Aren't they planning on putting an interchange at CTH-YZ (old US 18/151 prior to 1982) eventually, as part of the US 18/151 Freeway Conversion Study (https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/projects/by-region/sw/18151study/default.aspx)? Maybe that interchange should be built sooner rather than later.

Your link doesn't work. I believe this is the correct link.

[JREwing78]

This leads one to wonder: why haven't they just shut down County Y west of this intersection until the US-18 detour is over?

Wait, so the DOT is at-fault because people aren't following the posted detour?

Nope. But at the same time, that's a lot of accidents tying up the sheriff's deputies, fire department, ambulance, and State Police. It's also obvious nobody is going to respect the detour unless forced to. At some point, the inconvenience of shutting down the road has to get outweighed by the mounting losses from all the accidents there.

[DaBigE]

This leads one to wonder: why haven't they just shut down County Y west of this intersection until the US-18 detour is over?

Wait, so the DOT is at-fault because people aren't following the posted detour?

Nope. But at the same time, that's a lot of accidents tying up the sheriff's deputies, fire department, ambulance, and State Police. It's also obvious nobody is going to respect the detour unless forced to. At some point, the inconvenience of shutting down the road has to get outweighed by the mounting losses from all the accidents there.

I fully agree with that logic and agree that something should be done, but that's not the way you framed your original statement. You made it sound like this traffic pattern was created by the DOT and the county, when it's the unfortunate side effect of posting a detour for a state (or higher facility). More often than not, the official detour ends up being more inconvenient than the local roadway network, but that's the byproduct of how detours have to legally be assigned, unless formal agreements are made with local jurisdictions.

[thspfc]

The highest Zoo Interchange ramp, I-94 EB to I-41 NB, is a bucket list piece of road. I drove it this week for the first time.