Wisconsin notes

[SEWIGuy]

Looks like WisDOT was trying to get Kenosha to take over maintenance of Hwy 50 within city limits, and Kenosha refused?

Here's a newer version of the project page: https://projects.511wi.gov/wis50/

Not sure they refused but it clearly didn't happen for whatever reason.

Wonder if this was the reason the small portion of WI-83 was decommissioned to make room for WI-311 instead.

[dvferyance]

Looks like WisDOT was trying to get Kenosha to take over maintenance of Hwy 50 within city limits, and Kenosha refused?

Here's a newer version of the project page: https://projects.511wi.gov/wis50/

Not sure they refused but it clearly didn't happen for whatever reason.

Wonder if this was the reason the small portion of WI-83 was decommissioned to make room for WI-311 instead.

WI-83 north of Hartford was 6 miles while WI-311 is at the most 2 miles.

[The Ghostbuster]

Google Maps only has northbound on their Street View. Here is as good of a shot at the End STH 311 sign one can get: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6960356,-87.9446228,3a,75y,7.74h,96.46t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s4NwXcgrEzH6TrboqauObsw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu. Here is a shot of the 311 sign from eastbound STH 11: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6967782,-87.9468203,3a,75y,81.76h,90.04t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sNR1Hoe9A0vDLG6r0v1lITg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu. Westbound STH 11's Street View shot is from October 2022, so this is the best shot one can get: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6972671,-87.9416444,3a,75y,283.72h,97.12t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sti_XP_PXJTArM_tqPSqE8g!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu.

[dvferyance]

Google Maps only has northbound on their Street View. Here is as good of a shot at the End STH 311 sign one can get: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6960356,-87.9446228,3a,75y,7.74h,96.46t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s4NwXcgrEzH6TrboqauObsw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu. Here is a shot of the 311 sign from eastbound STH 11: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6967782,-87.9468203,3a,75y,81.76h,90.04t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sNR1Hoe9A0vDLG6r0v1lITg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu. Westbound STH 11's Street View shot is from October 2022, so this is the best shot one can get: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6972671,-87.9416444,3a,75y,283.72h,97.12t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sti_XP_PXJTArM_tqPSqE8g!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu.

It's not even marked on google maps.

[The Ghostbuster]

There also isn't a page for it on Wikipedia. I would have preferred that the STH 311 designation hadn't been implemented. The road should have just stayed the Wisconsin Valley Parkway without a highway designation. Plus, Interstates 41/94 are just to the west of the corridor, so the 311 designation was unnecessary.

[SEWIGuy]

If the state agreed to maintain the highway, it should be numbered.

[hobsini2]

If the state agreed to maintain the highway, it should be numbered.

Can we officially blame Scott Walker for this silliness of 311? Just asking for a friend.

[tchafe1978]

Maybe it was just the time of day the Goog was in the area, but the highway looks to be way overbuilt for the traffic levels. But maybe if the area fills in with businesses in 20 years the road might fill up.

[FightingIrish]

If the state agreed to maintain the highway, it should be numbered.

If the state owns it, they number it.

Besides, it might actually turn into something one of these years. Which might be why it's signed and posted, rather than unsigned. It could help attract attention to the massive amount of available real estate there.

And no, the numbering is unrelated to the WIS 83 turnback north of Hartford. Different counties. However, there was some freed-up state route mileage around Burlington in recent years, with the building of the bypass.

[SEWIGuy]

If the state agreed to maintain the highway, it should be numbered.

If the state owns it, they number it.

Besides, it might actually turn into something one of these years. Which might be why it's signed and posted, rather than unsigned. It could help attract attention to the massive amount of available real estate there.

And no, the numbering is unrelated to the WIS 83 turnback north of Hartford. Different counties. However, there was some freed-up state route mileage around Burlington in recent years, with the building of the bypass.

They don't do it by county - they do it by district. And its the same district.

[JREwing78]

Maybe it was just the time of day the Goog was in the area, but the highway looks to be way overbuilt for the traffic levels. But maybe if the area fills in with businesses in 20 years the road might fill up.

You are correct, sir. There's a reason for that: the wet dream of a $10 billion investment from Foxconn was just that - a dream.

Wisconsin used eminent domain to acquire property and built out a bunch of infrastructure, plus offered $4 billion (with a B) to Foxconn if they followed through with job creation plans. None of the GOP folks pushing for this bothered to look at what Foxconn did elsewhere in similar situations (Foxconn has a history of not following through with promised investments), and so we have a bunch of unnecessary infrastructure built out with nothing to show for it.

It's probably the main reason Scott Walker is not governor of Wisconsin today.

More: https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/22/tech/foxconn-wisconsin-factory-scaled-down/index.html

[invincor]

Maybe it was just the time of day the Goog was in the area, but the highway looks to be way overbuilt for the traffic levels. But maybe if the area fills in with businesses in 20 years the road might fill up.

You are correct, sir. There's a reason for that: the wet dream of a $10 billion investment from Foxconn was just that - a dream.

Wisconsin used eminent domain to acquire property and built out a bunch of infrastructure, plus offered $4 billion (with a B) to Foxconn if they followed through with job creation plans. None of the GOP folks pushing for this bothered to look at what Foxconn did elsewhere in similar situations (Foxconn has a history of not following through with promised investments), and so we have a bunch of unnecessary infrastructure built out with nothing to show for it.

It's probably the main reason Scott Walker is not governor of Wisconsin today.

More: https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/22/tech/foxconn-wisconsin-factory-scaled-down/index.html

It went so far that they changed the control cities on I-90's signage south of Madison to "Janesville" instead of "Chicago."   When Control City Freak covered I-90 on his YouTube channel, he flagged this as a bad move, and I knew at once what must have happened here. 

[Revive 755]

^ They should be using Rockford anyway over Chicago for those who are using I-39 to get around Chicagoland.

[SEWIGuy]

Chicago is absolutely fine as a control city south of Madison.

[hobsini2]

Again, this is why I advocate having a primary and secondary together when it makes sense. Janesville/Chicago out of Madison then Rockford/Chicago south of Hwy 11 is what I would do. I skip Beloit despite its size because it is so close to Janesville.

[GeekJedi]

Maybe it was just the time of day the Goog was in the area, but the highway looks to be way overbuilt for the traffic levels. But maybe if the area fills in with businesses in 20 years the road might fill up.

You are correct, sir. There's a reason for that: the wet dream of a $10 billion investment from Foxconn was just that - a dream.

Wisconsin used eminent domain to acquire property and built out a bunch of infrastructure, plus offered $4 billion (with a B) to Foxconn if they followed through with job creation plans. None of the GOP folks pushing for this bothered to look at what Foxconn did elsewhere in similar situations (Foxconn has a history of not following through with promised investments), and so we have a bunch of unnecessary infrastructure built out with nothing to show for it.

It's probably the main reason Scott Walker is not governor of Wisconsin today.

More: https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/22/tech/foxconn-wisconsin-factory-scaled-down/index.html

I am not at all a fan of Scott Walker or this project, however some interesting things are happening in spite of that boondoggle. It is attracting IT related industry to the area because of the upgraded infrastructure. It's not at the level of Foxconn to be sure, but I don't think that the area will remain empty forever.

https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/business/2023/04/20/microsoft-will-pay-50-million-for-land-adjacent-to-foxconns-campus-in-mount-pleasant/70133816007/

[tchafe1978]

https://goo.gl/maps/F1JWs4aDu7hYgGnR8

I was back home in Waukesha County today visiting some family and noticed some county highway shields were looking a little bit "off". The borders on some of the shields aren't as thick as they should be on the top and bottom.

https://goo.gl/maps/T2PxDi2NHZG5ny5A8
https://goo.gl/maps/yh3BQUsT2qLQhWjf7

But then others at the same intersection looked normal. What gives, Waukesha County?! Even my current home of Lafayette County isn't this lax with signage, and being a poorer rural county and not keeping up with standards all the time, at least the borders and fonts are still usually correct.

[SEWIGuy]

Those types of county shields have been popping up in Waukesha County for the last 15 years or so. Not really a recent development.

[The Ghostbuster]

Have those county shields popped up anywhere else in the state? I have a feeling Waukesha County isn't the only place in the state that "Illinois" shields appear.

[mgk920]

A couple of counties in the northern part of the state use those 'cheaper' signs, too, but nothing here in the Fox Valley.   

Mike

[JoePCool14]

Maybe it was just the time of day the Goog was in the area, but the highway looks to be way overbuilt for the traffic levels. But maybe if the area fills in with businesses in 20 years the road might fill up.

You are correct, sir. There's a reason for that: the wet dream of a $10 billion investment from Foxconn was just that - a dream.

Wisconsin used eminent domain to acquire property and built out a bunch of infrastructure, plus offered $4 billion (with a B) to Foxconn if they followed through with job creation plans. None of the GOP folks pushing for this bothered to look at what Foxconn did elsewhere in similar situations (Foxconn has a history of not following through with promised investments), and so we have a bunch of unnecessary infrastructure built out with nothing to show for it.

It's probably the main reason Scott Walker is not governor of Wisconsin today.

More: https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/22/tech/foxconn-wisconsin-factory-scaled-down/index.html

I am not at all a fan of Scott Walker or this project, however some interesting things are happening in spite of that boondoggle. It is attracting IT related industry to the area because of the upgraded infrastructure. It's not at the level of Foxconn to be sure, but I don't think that the area will remain empty forever.

https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/business/2023/04/20/microsoft-will-pay-50-million-for-land-adjacent-to-foxconns-campus-in-mount-pleasant/70133816007/

It's inevitable that the area will be used for something, and that's why I'm not fretting it too much. If you're looking to build something medium to large, and want to be plopped in between Chicago and Milwaukee while also setting up shop in Wisconsin, this is a prime spot.

The biggest shame is that it destroyed the area just for nothing to replace it. Many homes and the still mostly rural nature of the area, just gone, along with lots of money with it.

[peterj920]

Drove through the US 2/US 51 roundabout. Traffic flows fairly smooth with a lot of traffic heading south on US 51. The one part of the project that didn't make sense was removing a lane each way on US 2 and keeping the road divided west of the roundabout on US 2.

[triplemultiplex]

They've done that in a couple spots up north in recent years.  US 8 used to be four lane divided through its interchanges with US 51 and WI 13.  But when it was last repaved, they eliminated one of the thru lanes in favor of dedicated left and right turn lanes.  So now it's two lane divided.

[peterj920]

Looks like the Wis 54/Mason Street Bridge is possibly going to be replaced in the next decade. On the NE Region project site there's a new page on a study on the bridge. No alternatives have been decided on yet. By the time the project begins the bridge will be 60 years old.

If there is reconstruction a new bridge should stay close to the current configuration with some changes. An auxiliary lane extended from Ashland Ave would be helpful since there's way more traffic from that entrance than Broadway. The Broadway half interchange probably isn't needed.

The other 2 Downtown bridges have issues with bridges opening for boats and long trains that backup traffic. Mason St is the only bridge that passes over the railway and is high enough to avoid opening for most boats, although it has to open for the occasional large ship. If the current short freeway works, why mess with it?

[Big John]

^^ Broadway was a lot more busy when the bridge was built, thus the current configuration.  Agree that the auxiliary lane needs to be extended to the Ashland on-ramp as a minimum as the current merge area is very substandard.