Wisconsin notes

[JoePCool14]

There won't be any new 3dis in Wisconsin (or new 2dis for that matter). Interstates 535, 794 and 894 are all the 3dis that will likely ever exist. I certainly would not want one on the Beltline or STH-30.

With the exception of 441 I would agree. I think 172 would be eligible to be a 3di but I doubt it will ever happen. WI-30 is nowhere near interstate compatible and I would not even want a 3di on the beltline too many routes already exist there.

Theoretically, you could give the beltway a 3DI designation for its entire length and hide the remaining designations along the route, except where relevent. But it's not hugely necessary.

[SEWIGuy]

There won't be any new 3dis in Wisconsin (or new 2dis for that matter). Interstates 535, 794 and 894 are all the 3dis that will likely ever exist. I certainly would not want one on the Beltline or STH-30.

With the exception of 441 I would agree. I think 172 would be eligible to be a 3di but I doubt it will ever happen. WI-30 is nowhere near interstate compatible and I would not even want a 3di on the beltline too many routes already exist there.

Theoretically, you could give the beltway a 3DI designation for its entire length and hide the remaining designations along the route, except where relevent. But it's not hugely necessary.

Beltline.

[Molandfreak]

The only reason I would ever advocate for a 3DI on the beltline is if there were a northern counterpart built to give unity to the corridor. But that's a moot point since it'll never happen.

[tchafe1978]

https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/about-wisdot/newsroom/news-rel/040523-statemaparchive.aspx

Explore transportation history with WisDOT's online highway map archive

All of the state hghways maps from the last 100 years are now on an online archive

[The Ghostbuster]

I greatly look forward to the new state highway map being released in early summer. I've been growing old waiting for them to move on from distributing the old 2019-2020 map. I've scanned the old map website before: https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/travel/road/hwy-maps/default.aspx, and I find them spectacular.

[invincor]

Are they really finally going to do a new map?  And will it be available on paper in rest areas or just an online edition?

[peterj920]

It will be on paper. There hasn't been too much to update. Wis 23 is now expressway between Fond Du Lac and Plymouth. Other than that not much has changed from the old edition.

I'm hoping that the Madison Beltline, Wis 145 and Wis 119 in Milwaukee go back to being marked as freeways instead of 4 lane divided.

[hobsini2]

It will be on paper. There hasn't been too much to update. Wis 23 is now expressway between Fond Du Lac and Plymouth. Other than that not much has changed from the old edition.

I'm hoping that the Madison Beltline, Wis 145 and Wis 119 in Milwaukee go back to being marked as freeways instead of 4 lane divided.

The should have been to begin with. Throw in US 151 on the Madison inset north of 39/90/94.

One error that I did notice in the current Waukesha inset map is they put an interchange at US 18 & Wis 318.

As a side note, I wonder if WisDOT will ever treat Waukesha as a metro area with it's signing. They still use Hwy XX and "Waukesha" instead of naming the roadway on 94. That area has enough Waukesha & Pewaukee exits that there's no reason not to name Hwy SS NORTH Prospect Ave, Wis 318/Hwy G Meadowbrook Rd, Hwy T Grandview Blvd, Wis 164 NORTH/Hwy J SOUTH Pewaukee Rd, Hwy F Redford Blvd. I get skipping Moreland Blvd because of the next exit being Moorland Rd but come on.
Also, why is Wis 16 West still just Pewaukee? It's the quickest way to Downtown Oconomowoc. Put that up there too.

Rant done.

[GeekJedi]

https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/about-wisdot/newsroom/news-rel/040523-statemaparchive.aspx

Explore transportation history with WisDOT's online highway map archive

All of the state hghways maps from the last 100 years are now on an online archive

They did a great job on those scans - excellent resolution.

[dvferyance]

It will be on paper. There hasn't been too much to update. Wis 23 is now expressway between Fond Du Lac and Plymouth. Other than that not much has changed from the old edition.

I'm hoping that the Madison Beltline, Wis 145 and Wis 119 in Milwaukee go back to being marked as freeways instead of 4 lane divided.

The should have been to begin with. Throw in US 151 on the Madison inset north of 39/90/94.

One error that I did notice in the current Waukesha inset map is they put an interchange at US 18 & Wis 318.

As a side note, I wonder if WisDOT will ever treat Waukesha as a metro area with it's signing. They still use Hwy XX and "Waukesha" instead of naming the roadway on 94. That area has enough Waukesha & Pewaukee exits that there's no reason not to name Hwy SS NORTH Prospect Ave, Wis 318/Hwy G Meadowbrook Rd, Hwy T Grandview Blvd, Wis 164 NORTH/Hwy J SOUTH Pewaukee Rd, Hwy F Redford Blvd. I get skipping Moreland Blvd because of the next exit being Moorland Rd but come on.
Also, why is Wis 16 West still just Pewaukee? It's the quickest way to Downtown Oconomowoc. Put that up there too.

Rant done.

For Hwy F I get using the control cities there because the NB one is Sussex and not Pewaukee but the rest I would agree use the names. You kind of confused me at first when you said Hwy XX I thought you were referring to Oakdale Rd which runs just south of Waukesha which is also known as Hwy XX but now I get what you meant. I beleive at one time Oconomowoc was on Hwy 16 along with Pewaukee but for whatever reason the newer signs only say Pewaukee. I don't like the wisdot trend either of dropping places that are unincorporated. Like I-43 Exit 107 it use to say Belgium Lake Church but now only Belgium is used because the later is unincorporated.

[thspfc]

Agreed that "Waukesha"  is too vague for those exits now. "Waukesha next _ exits"  is sufficient. The I-94 corridor through there is completely built up, no point in aggressively signing the individual cities.

[hobsini2]

Agreed that "Waukesha"  is too vague for those exits now. "Waukesha next _ exits"  is sufficient. The I-94 corridor through there is completely built up, no point in aggressively signing the individual cities.

Absolutely considering that Waukesha is now over 71k and the county is over 406k. At least they do put up the next 3 listed exits signs along that stretch.

[peterj920]

It will be on paper. There hasn't been too much to update. Wis 23 is now expressway between Fond Du Lac and Plymouth. Other than that not much has changed from the old edition.

I'm hoping that the Madison Beltline, Wis 145 and Wis 119 in Milwaukee go back to being marked as freeways instead of 4 lane divided.

The should have been to begin with. Throw in US 151 on the Madison inset north of 39/90/94.

One error that I did notice in the current Waukesha inset map is they put an interchange at US 18 & Wis 318.

As a side note, I wonder if WisDOT will ever treat Waukesha as a metro area with it's signing. They still use Hwy XX and "Waukesha" instead of naming the roadway on 94. That area has enough Waukesha & Pewaukee exits that there's no reason not to name Hwy SS NORTH Prospect Ave, Wis 318/Hwy G Meadowbrook Rd, Hwy T Grandview Blvd, Wis 164 NORTH/Hwy J SOUTH Pewaukee Rd, Hwy F Redford Blvd. I get skipping Moreland Blvd because of the next exit being Moorland Rd but come on.
Also, why is Wis 16 West still just Pewaukee? It's the quickest way to Downtown Oconomowoc. Put that up there too.

Rant done.

For Hwy F I get using the control cities there because the NB one is Sussex and not Pewaukee but the rest I would agree use the names. You kind of confused me at first when you said Hwy XX I thought you were referring to Oakdale Rd which runs just south of Waukesha which is also known as Hwy XX but now I get what you meant. I beleive at one time Oconomowoc was on Hwy 16 along with Pewaukee but for whatever reason the newer signs only say Pewaukee. I don't like the wisdot trend either of dropping places that are unincorporated. Like I-43 Exit 107 it use to say Belgium Lake Church but now only Belgium is used because the later is unincorporated.

What WISDOT is doing with unincorporated communities is a mystery. I have noticed that some have disappeared while others have not and this applies to regular guide signs.

On the I-43 Wis 96 exit, Greenleaf is unincorporated but still listed as the control city for the exit.

On Wis 32/57, Brant was once signed but now it's just Stockbridge. Yet Askeaton remains and that's pretty much just an intersection.

On US 10, Wayside, Taus, and Maple Grove were removed. Dundas, Holland, and Clarks Mills are still signed.

[thspfc]

There's also some mind-numbing signs in terms of which city is listed first. At the aforementioned I-43/WI-96, unincorporated Greenleaf, 15 miles away, is listed before pop. 2500 Denmark, which is immediately to the east of the exit. I-39/90/94 and CTH-V is even worse - Dane, pop. 1k, 6 miles away, is listed before DeForest, pop. 11k, immediately to the east of the exit.

[SSOWorld]

WisDOT's love with control cities that don't make sense (Kronnenwetter, Kronnenwetter, Mt. Pleasant, Mt. Pleasant, Lancaster, Weston, Pewaukee, Waukesha, Waukesha, Waukesha, Waukesha) 

Corrected version
WisDOT's love with control cities that don't make sense

US-51/I-39
- (Wausau Merrill Ave (Sure it's not a direct, but it works) (CTH-K),
- Westonlose it and put Shawano instead if you want a short-distance(Wis 29 off 51)
- Mosinee/KronnenwetterMaple Ridge Rd (what it was before),
- KronnenwetterSchofield (Bus 51),
- Stevens PointStanley Street (Rosholt can stay) (Wis-66)
- Stevens PointMain St. (Appleton can Stay) (US-10)
- Plover Plover Rd/Amherst or Wis Rapids (CTH B)
- Plover/Wis Rapids/Waupaca
- Portage/New Pinery Rd (US-51 S)
- Portage/Wisconsin St (Wis-16)
- Portage/Baraboo Wis-33
I-94 (Racine/Kenosha Counties
- Caledonia5 1/2 Mile Rd (Put Caledonia on a next # exits sign)
- Racine/CaledoniaNorthwestern Ave (CTH K)
- Racine/Mt. PleasantWashington Ave(Wis 20)(Put Mt. Pleasant on a next 3 exits sign)
- Racine/Mt. PleasantDurand Ave,
- Mt Pleasant/SomersCounty Line Road (original) or 1st st (?) CTH KR - Where the fuck is Somers???
- SomersSomers Rd CTH E - Where the fuck is Somers???
- Kenosha/BurlingtonBurlington Road Wis 142/CTH S- Yank 142 to Kenosha - again!!! (Kenosha already has a next # exits sign)
- Kenosha52nd St Wis 158
- EAST-WESTWilmot Rd  CTH-C - EAST-WEST? No Shit, Sherlock!
- Kenosha/Pleasant Prairie104th St  WIS-168/CTH-G (Secondary sign Pleasant Prairie)
US-151
- VeronaPaoli St (Wis 69 (nice))
- Mt HorebSpringdale St - CTH ID
- Mt HorebPrairie Du Sac/Blanchardville
- LancasterCuba City (Though it's questionable - put Lancaster on a smaller sign)
I-94 around Waukesha
- PewaukeeOconomowoc/Watertown?
- Waukesha, Waukesha, Waukesha, Waukesha Replace with the street names, you already had a next # exits signs both ways
I-90 Janesville/Beloit
- Madison/DeForest/Stoughton Rd US-51
- Madison/East Washington Ave/Sun Prairie US-151
- (Leave the Badger alone)
- Madison/Cambridgejust the route #s or put East Beltline Hwy? US-12/18
- Wis-26: Milton Ave (One can keep Milton)
- US-14: Oregon (Keep Delevan)
- Wis 11 E: Racine St
- Wis-11 W: Monroe/Avalon Rd

La Crosse and Eau Claire can use changes too.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

There's also some mind-numbing signs in terms of which city is listed first. At the aforementioned I-43/WI-96, unincorporated Greenleaf, 15 miles away, is listed before pop. 2500 Denmark, which is immediately to the east of the exit. I-39/90/94 and CTH-V is even worse - Dane, pop. 1k, 6 miles away, is listed before DeForest, pop. 11k, immediately to the east of the exit.

I think there's actually some MUTCD play that's supposed to be involved (although WisDOT doesn't follow it) - if the two cities on the sign are in opposite directions from the interchange, the city that requires a left turn to reach is supposed to be listed first, with the city reached by turning right listed second. That was said somewhere on this board. But as I said, WisDOT doesn't seem to do this (Minnesota does).

[mgk920]

A lot of them sound like townships that wanted to flex their muscles and say something like "we're not a part of THAT city (even though we really know that we should be)".

Mike

[GeekJedi]

- Wis-11 W: Monroe/Avalon Rd

I dunno. I quite enjoy knowing that Wis-11 is the exit for Orfordville.

[dvferyance]

It drove me nuts years ago when they added Mount Plesant to several exits in the Racine area and dropped Waterford and Burlington. They should have just made a separate sign for Mt Plesant instead of dropping the previous control cities and putting them on a separate sign. Another suggestion I would have is to replace Fond Du Lac with Valders on I-43 at US 151. Anyone going to Fond Du Lac would have gotten off at WI-23 in Sheboygan.

[SEWIGuy]

Who the fuck goes to Valders?

[SSOWorld]

- Wis-11 W: Monroe/Avalon Rd

I dunno. I quite enjoy knowing that Wis-11 is the exit for Orfordville.

Certainly a tossup between that and Brodhead but both are smaller towns and certainly deserve secondary mention. Monroe is significant enough being the central point of Green County - which is left off the map as far as the mainline through WI is concerned. It gets a mention on 151 but less people go that way.

[SSOWorld]

A lot of them sound like townships that wanted to flex their muscles and say something like "we're not a part of THAT city (even though we really know that we should be)".

Mike

Townships like Mt Pleasant, Kronnenwetter, Plover, Weston, Caledonia, Somers, etc incorporated because of not wanting to be absorbed by another municipality.  One can argue that Foxconn was Mt. Pleasant's reason for villaging, but Weston (a section of the town) and Plover (same) wanted not to be absorbed by other municipalities (Schofield and Point/Whiting (maybe - don't know which one)) This whole village to protect shit is political (but we won't go there in this thread)

[SEWIGuy]

A lot of them sound like townships that wanted to flex their muscles and say something like "we're not a part of THAT city (even though we really know that we should be)".

Mike

Townships like Mt Pleasant, Kronnenwetter, Plover, Weston, Caledonia, Somers, etc incorporated because of not wanting to be absorbed by another municipality.  One can argue that Foxconn was Mt. Pleasant's reason for villaging, but Weston (a section of the town) and Plover (same) wanted not to be absorbed by other municipalities (Schofield and Point/Whiting (maybe - don't know which one)) This whole village to protect shit is political (but we won't go there in this thread)

I think it would have been better in the long run to have most of these town absorbed by local municipalities rather than incorporated themselves.

[invincor]

Speaking of control cities, YouTube channel "Control City Freak" has recently covered I-90 and I-94, and points out the strangeness of Janesville suddenly becoming a control city in the Madison metro and further south.  Am I correct in thinking that the only reason Janesville is on the signage there now was the Paul Ryan-sponsored Foxconn boondoggle?

[peterj920]

Speaking of control cities, YouTube channel "Control City Freak" has recently covered I-90 and I-94, and points out the strangeness of Janesville suddenly becoming a control city in the Madison metro and further south.  Am I correct in thinking that the only reason Janesville is on the signage there now was the Paul Ryan-sponsored Foxconn boondoggle?

The Foxconn Development is along I-94 in Mount Pleasant, nowhere near Janesville. It's the control city northbound at the I-43 interchange that opened last year. There may have been local lobbying but in fairness it has a population of 65,000. It's also former senator Russ Feingold's hometown.