Wisconsin notes

[SSOWorld]

From the "surprised the heck outta me" department - Wisconn Vally Parkway is now WI-311. Drove by there yesterday and it was signed.

https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/2022/05/13/wisconsin-dot-renaming-foxconn-wisconn-valley-way-state-highway-311-mount-pleasant-racine/9760613002/

Seems to have been that way for a while.  Thanks Walker for such wasteful spending.

[SEWIGuy]

From the "surprised the heck outta me" department - Wisconn Vally Parkway is now WI-311. Drove by there yesterday and it was signed.

https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/2022/05/13/wisconsin-dot-renaming-foxconn-wisconn-valley-way-state-highway-311-mount-pleasant-racine/9760613002/

Was this the road that received temporary signage when it was under construction as well?

Also is it marked on the BGS on I-41/94?

[JoePCool14]

From the "surprised the heck outta me" department - Wisconn Vally Parkway is now WI-311. Drove by there yesterday and it was signed.

https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/2022/05/13/wisconsin-dot-renaming-foxconn-wisconn-valley-way-state-highway-311-mount-pleasant-racine/9760613002/

Seems to have been that way for a while.  Thanks Walker for such wasteful spending.

That's hilarious. On the bright side, it gives me something new to go and clinch. And the number at least makes sense.

All those Foxconn roads did end up being way over-built unfortunately. But I'm sure in the not-so-distant future, things will continue to be built in the area.

[triplemultiplex]

I'm more upset that the road name contains the word "valley" when it exists on the flattest area of flatness in southeast Wisconsin.  What the hell are they talking about with that name? The "valley" of Kilbourn Road Ditch?  Clearly a name chosen by either a total shithead or someone who's never set foot in Racine County.

Nice to see we've got a new front runner in the contest for most useless state highway in the state.

[GeekJedi]

From the "surprised the heck outta me" department - Wisconn Vally Parkway is now WI-311. Drove by there yesterday and it was signed.

https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/2022/05/13/wisconsin-dot-renaming-foxconn-wisconn-valley-way-state-highway-311-mount-pleasant-racine/9760613002/

Was this the road that received temporary signage when it was under construction as well?

Also is it marked on the BGS on I-41/94?

No markings on 94/41 from what I could tell.

I'm more upset that the road name contains the word "valley" when it exists on the flattest area of flatness in southeast Wisconsin.  What the hell are they talking about with that name? The "valley" of Kilbourn Road Ditch?  Clearly a name chosen by either a total shithead or someone who's never set foot in Racine County.

Nice to see we've got a new front runner in the contest for most useless state highway in the state.

"Wisconn Valley" is supposed to be a play on "Silicon Valley". But yeah. Nothing but flatlands, corn, and cows.

[The Ghostbuster]

Google Maps doesn't list STH 311, nor does Wikipedia. I assume the designation is too new for either to mention. Also, since wisconsinhighways.org hasn't since October 24, 2016, neither STH 311 nor STH 318 are listed on the Highways 200-399 page.

[JoePCool14]

Google Maps doesn't list STH 311, nor does Wikipedia. I assume the designation is too new for either to mention. Also, since wisconsinhighways.org hasn't since October 24, 2016, neither STH 311 nor STH 318 are listed on the Highways 200-399 page.

Probably because nobody knew about it. Seems the only way one would know is from a handful of local news articles, unless they dig through WisDOT files.

[mgk920]

I guess that WI 311 will join the short list of Wisconsin state highways that are located completely within single municipalities, along side of WI 30(soon),WI 119, WI 341(?), I-535,  I-794, etc.

Mike

[dvferyance]

From the "surprised the heck outta me" department - Wisconn Vally Parkway is now WI-311. Drove by there yesterday and it was signed.

Oh it was because it's still not marked on googlemaps.

[triplemultiplex]

I guess that WI 311 will join the short list of Wisconsin state highways that are located completely within single municipalities, along side of WI 30(soon)

I thought the annexation went down last month?  The town hall on Fish Hatch is looking rather unused the last couple times I drove by.

[JREwing78]

I guess that WI 311 will join the short list of Wisconsin state highways that are located completely within single municipalities, along side of WI 30(soon)

I thought the annexation went down last month?  The town hall on Fish Hatch is looking rather unused the last couple times I drove by.

Town of Madison is no more as of October 31st.
https://www.channel3000.com/town-of-madison-officially-absorbed-by-city-of-madison-fitchburg/

[mgk920]

I guess that WI 311 will join the short list of Wisconsin state highways that are located completely within single municipalities, along side of WI 30(soon)

I thought the annexation went down last month?  The town hall on Fish Hatch is looking rather unused the last couple times I drove by.

Town of Madison is no more as of October 31st.

https://www.channel3000.com/town-of-madison-officially-absorbed-by-city-of-madison-fitchburg/

The part of WI 30 that is not in Madison (a section near Stoughton Rd/US 51) is in Burke Township.  It joins the City of Madison in a few more years.

Mike

[FightingIrish]

I'm more upset that the road name contains the word "valley" when it exists on the flattest area of flatness in southeast Wisconsin.  What the hell are they talking about with that name? The "valley" of Kilbourn Road Ditch?  Clearly a name chosen by either a total shithead or someone who's never set foot in Racine County.

Nice to see we've got a new front runner in the contest for most useless state highway in the state.

I guess WISDOT needed to slap a number on it, since they own it. And yes, that whole area is pointless. I knew Foxconn would screw the state from the get-go.

[US 12 fan]

I just drove by that area and I saw all the Highway 311 signs. I have to admit, it makes no sense having a state highway there. It's one thing if they made it a county highway but not a state highway. If they were going to put a state highway in that area, they should have changed Highway KR or Highway H, if not both. 

[The Ghostbuster]

CTH H was once part of the state highway system, at least the portion between CTH S and STH 50 was. First it was part of STH 57 (1919-1926); then part of US 41 (1926-1936); then STH 31 (1936-1947); then STH 192 (1947-1990); and since 1990, CTH H.

[triplemultiplex]

The part of WI 30 that is not in Madison (a section near Stoughton Rd/US 51) is in Burke Township.  It joins the City of Madison in a few more years.

This got me curious and so I pulled up Dane County's mapping application.  Looks like WI 30 is all in Madison except for a part around Fair Oaks Ave where half the r/w is still Town of Blooming Grove.

[JoePCool14]

From the "surprised the heck outta me" department - Wisconn Vally Parkway is now WI-311. Drove by there yesterday and it was signed.

For anyone who is a "pics or it didn't happen" person...

Coming off of I-41/94 northbound at CTH-KR:


Before the intersection with WI-311's southern terminus on CTH-KR:


The first northbound WI-311 trailblazer:


And the northbound End sign, which I'll be cross-posting to the End Signs thread:


It is all really weird. I'm sure one day this road will be more developed, but the question is just how long might it take.

[US 12 fan]

I remember when Highway 192 existed between what used to be 142 (Now County S) and 50 before they changed it to H in 1992.  It would have made more sense to make that 311 or bring back 192 and make it go from Highway 20 to Highway 50.

[peterj920]

I guess that WI 311 will join the short list of Wisconsin state highways that are located completely within single municipalities, along side of WI 30(soon)

I thought the annexation went down last month?  The town hall on Fish Hatch is looking rather unused the last couple times I drove by.

The City of Fitchburg received the old town hall despite the City of Madison getting all of the properties up to The Beltline.

Since the dissolution the City of Madison has put up new street signs at Rimrock Rd and E Rusk Ave. The City of Fitchburg added a new sign on Rimrock Rd just south of The Beltline with an updated population of just over 30,000. None of the other Fitchburg signs have the updated population so it may have been ordered specifically for the annexation. Fitchburg received Zimbrick and the area of Rimrock Rd south of The Beltline by Exact Sciences and Delta Beer Lab.

[FightingIrish]

I remember when Highway 192 existed between what used to be 142 (Now County S) and 50 before they changed it to H in 1992.  It would have made more sense to make that 311 or bring back 192 and make it go from Highway 20 to Highway 50.

As I explained before, this obviously wasn't a matter of having another N-S between I-41/94 and Kenosha/Racine. There is no need for that. That's what WIS 31 and the interstate do.

However, the state is heavily involved in the Wisconn project, and needed to apply a number to a jurisdictional road. Not the first time it ever happened.

Of course, the road may actually serve some purpose in years to come. As it stands currently, it obviously makes little sense. But again, it's WISDOT's road, so they had to number it, and the state has noticeably been moving away from unsigned routes in recent years.

[SEWIGuy]

Yeah I believe Wisconsin now just has a couple of spur routes unsigned. Both are less than a half mile long.

[SSOWorld]

Yeah I believe Wisconsin now just has a couple of spur routes unsigned. Both are less than a half mile long.

42 and 794.

[mgk920]

Yeah I believe Wisconsin now just has a couple of spur routes unsigned. Both are less than a half mile long.

42 and 794.

I'm not sure of its current jurisdictional status, but Oneida St between US 10/WI 441 and the downtown area here in Appleton, including the Skyline Bridge over the Fox River and the adjacent bridges over Jones Park, have all of the hallmarks of being a WisDOT road.  it all WAS a marked state highway until the 1980s and before (US 10), but to the layman crowd, it is now just a busy Appleton city street.  'WI 510' anyone?

Mike

[JREwing78]

Meanwhile, WisDOT chooses an interesting time (post-election) to insist the plan for I-94 between 70th and 16th streets in Milwaukee really should be 8-lanes.

They note that this new plan only takes one home and 6 business properties, and the 6-lane option only saves $40 million (off a $1.2 billion price tag) while resulting in poor level of service. It includes rebuilding the Stadium interchange as a diverging diamond, for $60 million in savings.

https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2022/11/11/wisdot-interstate-94-rebuild-east-west.html

[mgk920]

Without digging into the linked article, how does WisDOT propose to handle the narrow part in the cemetery, with its legally sealed graves?  In previous proposals, engineers suggested cantilevering the two sides of the freeway to make room for the proposed eight lanes.

Mike