Wisconsin notes

[JREwing78]

Some recent items of interest about southern Wisconsin roads:

- In Madison, crews erected a new pedestrian bridge for the future Cannonball bike path just before the Labor Day weekend. This path crosses the Beltline near the Todd Dr. exit, following an old railroad right-of-way.

SLIDESHOW: Beltline bridge construction
http://www.wkow.com/story/23286925/2013/08/29/slideshow-beltline-bridge-construction


- A recent Janesville Gazette article on the reconstruction of the Racine St. exit @ I-39/90 (which is expected to be completed by November), and completion of work on River St. in downtown Janesville.

End of summer, end of construction (link is Google's cache of the site)
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:6mnW9JM-bAgJ:gazettextra.com/article/20130821/ARTICLES/130829926/1174+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a


- I took a drive up to DeForest tonight, and found considerable progress on the 4-lane freeway upgrade to US-51. The grading and construction work is largely completed to Vinburn Rd, with only a bit of concrete paving and shoulder paving to be done on the SBD lanes. Access to Windsor Rd. is completed NBD, but blocked off until the SBD US-51 work is completed, and Windsor Rd is reopened later this fall.

- I-39/90/94 has a new coat of asphalt over the existing concrete between the WI-30/I-94 interchange and the US-51 north exit. The concrete road surface wasn't awful, but had been showing some wear.

- WI-11 between Spring Prairie and I-43 near Elkhorn got a repave this summer; it was much-needed, particularly at the I-43 exit. The stretch east of Spring Prairie to the (infamous) Burlington bypass got a repave last summer. I use this stretch to connect to WI-20 east to Racine at least once a month; all the recent work has made this stretch a very pleasant drive. Just remember - it's posted for 55 - and the Burlington cops are watching you like a hawk.

- US-51 between I-39/90 and Stoughton is having its asphalt pavement milled and repaved; it was certainly showing its age.

[SEWIGuy]

Some recent items of interest about southern Wisconsin roads:

- In Madison, crews erected a new pedestrian bridge for the future Cannonball bike path just before the Labor Day weekend. This path crosses the Beltline near the Todd Dr. exit, following an old railroad right-of-way.

When I was a kid, I took a school bus to school along the beltline and it had to stop and pull over to a special lane to cross this railroad track.  (Late 70s)  In retrospect, it is kind of funny and a little dangerous that cars and trucks could whiz right through this but the bus had to stop.

[on_wisconsin]

Even more southern Wisconsin news:
1. The old Seminole Hwy bridge over the Beltline is out (no longer there) and the area looks odd without it:

WisDOT/ Verona Rd Project Facebook

2a. WisDOT is finally getting going on a corridor wide improvement study for the entirety of the Beltline itself, which a final report is due around late 2015:

Meetings seek public input for potentially massive overhaul of Beltline
BARRY ADAMS | Wisconsin State Journal | Published on 9/8/2013

It was a year ago when a flock of helicopters was deployed above Madison to take time-lapse photography of Beltline traffic.

The state Department of Transportation also gathered information from motorists' Bluetooth devices and from electronic traffic counters to get a better idea of traffic flow and congestion points on Dane County's most-talked-about roadway.

Now, officials want your input as part of a multiyear study of the Beltline that could eventually lead to hundreds of millions of dollars worth of improvements beginning in about 2025.

Five public meetings this month, beginning Monday in Fitchburg, have been scheduled for transportation officials to get feedback from motorists, residents, business owners and anyone else with an idea on how to ease congestion and frustrations. All suggestions are welcome, although a tunnel under Lake Mendota likely won't make the final cut.

"If we can provide improvements north or south or through the Isthmus that would pull some people off of the Beltline by making those routes more convenient, or faster, then that might be part of our total answer to the Beltline," said Larry Barta, a DOT project manager. "It's still all Beltline-focused but there are, we think, other ways of improving conditions that aren't just about adding lanes to the Beltline."

Those ideas could include the oft-discussed North Mendota Parkway, which would connect Interstate 39-90-94 with Highway 12 around the north side of Lake Mendota and a south Beltline that would link I-39-90 southeast of McFarland with Highway 18-151 near Verona. Improvements to the Isthmus corridor could include better bus and other transit options that could also divert traffic from the Beltline, Barta said.

The study, scheduled for completion in 2015, covers the stretch from Highway N in Cottage Grove to Highway 14/University Avenue in Middleton. The Beltline was built in the early 1950s as a two-lane roadway with at-grade crossings but over the decades has morphed into a multi-lane highway with interchanges.

According to DOT data, the highway averaged 470 crashes a year between 2008 and 2012 and carries an average of 123,000 vehicles a day. There are also 43 industrial parks within five miles of the Beltline, while trucks carried $14.2 billion in freight on it in 2011, the DOT said.

The study is intended to work with other studies already underway, including Highway 51 north and south of the Beltline and the conversion of Highway 12 into a freeway between Middleton and Highway 19.

Barta said the changes from a $175 million interchange project underway at Verona Road and other recent and upcoming improvements would also be taken into consideration in the study.

Costs of any improvements resulting from the study won't be calculated until options and strategies are narrowed, Barta said.

"We're so early in the process and there's such a wide range of what-ifs that we will look at that it's just impossible to try and put a number on it," Barta said. "It's not something that would help our process at this point."
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Beltline public meetings
The state Department of Transportation is holding a series of meetings this month to gather feedback on how to improve the Beltline.

Monday: Savannah Oaks Middle School, 5890 Lacy Road, Fitchburg, from 5:30-8 p.m.

Tuesday: Monona Community Center, 1011 Nichols Road, Monona, from 5:30- 8 p.m.

Sept. 18: Boys & Girls Club, 4619 Jenewein Road, Madison, 6-8:30 p.m.

Sept. 19: Westport Kennedy Administration Building, 5387 Mary Lake Road, Waunakee, from 5:30- 8 p.m.

Sept. 23: Middleton City Hall, 7426 Hubbard Ave., Middleton, from 5:30- 8 p.m.

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/meetings-seek-public-input-for-potentially-massive-overhaul-of-beltline/article_66c6e6df-53d1-5f26-ac03-206e3ceb66b6.html

2b. logo and announcement video from WisDOT:

2c. New WisDOT (human friendly) project page link and Facebook link: www.madisonbeltline.dot.wi.gov (Note, this one of the most complete project pages I have seen in a long time, there is even a history section. Fun Fact, the original Beltline construction was approved before 1945!)
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WIMadisonBeltlineStudy

3. The new bike/ pedestrian bridge over the Beltline between Todd Dr and Fish Hatchery Rd:



Both courtesy of The Capitol Times

[mgk920]

North Mendota Parkway?  Howabout a full North Beltline?

Also, do at Verona Rd what WisDOT is now doing at US(I)-41/WI 29 in the Green Bay area.

Four lanes each way between Verona Rd and Stoughton Rd would be useful, too.

And, yes, look into major upgrades for the County 'M' corridor.

Mike

[DaBigE]

North Mendota Parkway?  Howabout a full North Beltline?

We'll take what we can get in the Madison-area. Either way, it's long overdue. Getting between areas like Sun Prairie and Middleton suck, especially during harvest season and the back roads are full of farm implements.

Also, do at Verona Rd what WisDOT is now doing at US(I)-41/WI 29 in the Green Bay area.

Keep dreamin'. The day something that drastic happens there is the day Dane County votes Republican. A plan like that would never leave the Dane County courts. I agree that would be the right way to fix that mess, but it'll never happen. Similarly, the US 151/51 intersection should be a full interchange, but the closest we'll ever get is a modified SPUI.

[triplemultiplex]

Eight lanes wouldn't solve the Beltline's problems anyway.  It's the interchange density that slows it down during rush hours.  I would concentrate on taking service ramps and braiding them and/or setting up c/d lanes between South Towne and Verona Rd.

A north beltline can be Wisconsin's first toll road if we want it that bad.  It would just be a sprawl generator.

A full system interchange at Verona Rd is not unreasonable to me.  Having the planned interchange built to accommodate those missing movements would be a good idea.

I'm looking towards the potential almost-freeway options for Stoughton Road with increasing agreement.  When I first browsed some of that stuff, I thought it was overkill, but having driven around Madison a lot more in recent months, I can see how important it is for local traffic and maybe keeping it off the interstate.

[mgk920]

Eight lanes wouldn't solve the Beltline's problems anyway.  It's the interchange density that slows it down during rush hours.  I would concentrate on taking service ramps and braiding them and/or setting up c/d lanes between South Towne and Verona Rd.

Howabout doing the Texas/Detroit frontage road thing on that section, too?

A north beltline can be Wisconsin's first toll road if we want it that bad.  It would just be a sprawl generator.

Perhaps on tolling I can agree, but on the 'sprawl issue' it seems to me like Waunakee and so forth are already ably taking care of that one - that area is filling in FAST.

A full system interchange at Verona Rd is not unreasonable to me.  Having the planned interchange built to accommodate those missing movements would be a good idea.

And with what we know now about engineering and architecture v. 3-4 decades ago, it can be done such that it will fit right in despite allowing full speed on at least the major moves (US 18/151 through turns).  Howabout cut and cover tunneled 'fly-under' ramps for those, like was done at I-(41)/43/94/894 (Mitchell Interchange) in Milwaukee?

I'm looking towards the potential almost-freeway options for Stoughton Road with increasing agreement.  When I first browsed some of that stuff, I thought it was overkill, but having driven around Madison a lot more in recent months, I can see how important it is for local traffic and maybe keeping it off the interstate.

Stoughton Rd is one that kind of flew in under my radar, too, and I'm pretty familiar with how the area is wired together.  It is the routing that would have been the major eastside through highway had the interstates not been built and now it is getting those belated upgrades (see: US 51 north of I-39/90/94).

As for the rest of Stoughton Rd (US 51), I can see no way that a proposed three-lane roundabout at Washington Ave (US 151) will work, only a full diamond (Texas/Detroit frontage road style?) interchange favoring Stoughton Rd.

Mike

[tchafe1978]

If you've read the study and plans on the Verona Rd./Beltline interchange, you'd see it is in the plans for free-flowing movements for the two major movements (WB-SB and NB-EB). However, those improvements aren't planned to take place for 25-30 years, so we're stuck with what we're getting in the meantime.

[DaBigE]

As for the rest of Stoughton Rd (US 51), I can see no way that a proposed three-lane roundabout at Washington Ave (US 151) will work, only a full diamond (Texas/Detroit frontage road style?) interchange favoring Stoughton Rd.

Proposed three-lane roundabout?? Where have you seen that?    Regardless, I see a roundabout being one of the worst things they could do for that intersection. Madisonians have a hard enough time figuring out the two-lane roundabouts on the east (Lien Rd) and west sides (Mineral Point/Pleasant View) of the city.

[mgk920]

As for the rest of Stoughton Rd (US 51), I can see no way that a proposed three-lane roundabout at Washington Ave (US 151) will work, only a full diamond (Texas/Detroit frontage road style?) interchange favoring Stoughton Rd.

Proposed three-lane roundabout?? Where have you seen that?    Regardless, I see a roundabout being one of the worst things they could do for that intersection. Madisonians have a hard enough time figuring out the two-lane roundabouts on the east (Lien Rd) and west sides (Mineral Point/Pleasant View) of the city.

It was several years ago.  I'd have to go digging around to find the nitty-gritty on it.

Mike

[on_wisconsin]

As for the rest of Stoughton Rd (US 51), I can see no way that a proposed three-lane roundabout at Washington Ave (US 151) will work, only a full diamond (Texas/Detroit frontage road style?) interchange favoring Stoughton Rd.

Actually, they are favoring a SPUI at the moment for that intersection: http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/projects/swregion/51/docs/map-propalts.pdf (page 4)
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I went to the Beltline PEL PIM in Fitchburg tonight (9/9) and here are a couple of notes.
The meeting was sparsely attended by the public and was mostly press and Fitchburg city officials. I asked before the presentation if MnPASS style HOV/ HOT lanes where a possibility and the guy (who later turned out to be the head of the WisDOT SW region office) said, it was something they will defiantly look into as part of the process but most likely won't make the cut because the majority of Beltline trips are not long distance in nature.
   
      The presentation itself was interesting, the state is not just considering improving the Beltline itself, but rather just about everything is on the table right now. North and south bypass options as well as major improvements to the Isthmus are currently being look at.

• The presenter went in detail about how the corridor suffers from very poor LOS and some of that comes from the fact the road was originally built as a two lane highway in the late 40s- early 50's and upgraded in bits and pieces over the years. The unique geography of the area and rapid growth was also mentioned as sources of LOS as well.
  




• WisDOT is also very adamant about getting the City of Madison involved to a large degree, especially Metro and the BRT study committee. (I saw Madison Metro logos included in graphics on at least 3-5 slides.) Pedestrian and bike access in the area around the highway corridor is currently poor in many areas and that will be something they will definitely look at fixing.
  





• It was also mentioned that this is the first time in recent history that the state is looking at the total Beltline corridor. In the past, WisSHC/ WisDOT only looked at upgrading particular interchanges/ trouble spots, but not how the entire road itself relates to its surroundings.
  





• After the presentation the guy took questions, most had to do with a potential southern bypass (it was in Fitchburg after all). One attendee was very enthusiastic about a northern bypass and two questions had to due with time line related stuff. The presenter cautioned everyone that state is intentionally being vague about any bypass corridor(s) because a number of plans are being looked at right now.

In the lobby after the meeting proper, I asked another WisDOT official if it was a possibility that the highway may become an Interstate after upgrades are complete and she said that is not something the state is considering at all, right now.  Also I asked if southern bypass along the County M corridor built to high quality boulevard type road was a possibility and her eyes lit up and said that is definitely something there are looking into as part of the PEL.

(This was the first PIM I have ever attended so sorry if this rundown is not that good.)

[on_wisconsin]

Shitty cellphone pano of the under construction jughandle at Junction Rd (CTH M) and Mineral Point Rd (CTH S) in Madison:

[Right on Red]

Aerial shot of 26/60 interchange work, looking north:

Looking south:

US 51 north of Madison, looking south:

[JREwing78]

The pictures don't do justice to the topography of that stretch of Hwy 16/26, and how deep some of the excavation work had to go to level out the new 4-lane stretch.

Awesome 1st post! Where did you source these images?

[Right on Red]

I took them myself while I was out for a flight with family recently. I really didn't expect to see 16/26/60 as far along as it is.
I have a few more pictures lying around (some of them not as good).

What's it like from the ground? Does anyone know how far north the new 26 is?

[triplemultiplex]

What's it like from the ground? Does anyone know how far north the new 26 is?

Well, the four lane currently ends just north of CTH Q north of Watertown.  The current expansion will end just south of the railroad crossing on the left edge of your first image.  You can see the temporary roadway under construction that will allow WI 26 to bypass that railroad crossing while it is switched from the highway going under to the highway going over.  When the project is all done, that stretch of WI 60 between WI 26 and the realignment of WI 60 will be obliterated (including that temporary curve currently under construction.)

[SEWIGuy]

On the south end, all the new concrete for the section of WI-26 between Fort Atkinson and the Milton bypasses has been laid.  I'm not sure what they specifically plan to do, but I would guess that they will lay down blacktop shoulders...shut down for the winter...and then switch traffic over in the spring so they can work on the current section of roadway.

Right now the current WI-26 will be the SB lanes of the new highway until just north of the Rock County line...where the current WI-26 becomes the new NB lanes until the Milton bypass.

[FightingIrish]

Just happened to drive through the warzone known as the WIS 190 reconstruction (Capitol Dr.) in western Milwaukee County earlier. It is a massive rebuilding job that includes new concrete, widening, bike lanes, a new bridge over a creek and a massively reconfigured intersection with Lisbon Avenue and N. 100th St. The south side of the intersection has been closed for the past few months for this project, which it appears will consolidate everything into one big intersection, rather than three. Instead of three sets of lights, there will now be only one at N. 100th, which will ease congestion and chaos considerably.

Here are some before (taken from Google Street View) and after (taken by me this morning) shots:

This is the view westbound on Lisbon at 100th St., with Capitol Dr. farther to the right in the distance:



A rough view NB on 100th St. (the second one was taken on the SE corner):



Finally, the view SB on 100th St.:



As part of the reconstruction, the old access from EB Capitol Dr. on to Lisbon Av. is no more. It is being converted into a short access street with a large turnaround. The area where the old EB lanes of Capitol Dr. and the Lisbon Av. intersection is being converted into green space with a garden display similar to the one that was in the median of Capitol Dr. just east of N. 100th St. Here is the satellite image of before, with a self-created mockup of what it will roughly look like when completed:



And for you nostalgic types, here's what the whole intersection looked like in 1958:

http://content.mpl.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/HstoricPho/id/1264/rec/1
http://content.mpl.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/HstoricPho/id/1274/rec/4

[SEWIGuy]

Fighting...thank you so much for this.  I used to drive through this intersection (from EB Capitol to SB Lisbon) every day to work.

[colinstu]

Interesting! Thanks for sharing. A better configuration but a little sad to see the interesting configuration go. I wonder if they'll do something with the neat Capital Dr + Roosevelt Dr intersection.

[on_wisconsin]

70 mph speed Limit bill clears committee

Press release | Posted: Tuesday, October 8, 2013 5:52 pm

MANITOWOC — Today, the Assembly Committee on Transportation approved Assembly Bill 389 to raise the speed limit to 70 mph on Wisconsin freeways and expressways.

"I'm pleased the Transportation Committee approved this bill,"  said Rep. Paul Tittl (R-Manitowoc), author of the bill. "Most people tell me it's about time, he said.

"This bill isn't just about getting from one place to another more quickly. According to traffic safety experts, it could even help to make our highways safer,"  Tittl said.

The bill would raise the speed limit on nearly 800 miles of rural freeways and expressways that are part of the interstate highway system. It also requires the DOT to prepare a report regarding the suitability of a 70 mph speed limit on freeways and expressways that are not interstate highways.

The bill is expected to come before the Assembly next week and pass with bipartisan support.

http://www.leadertelegram.com/news/daily_updates/article_57ae311a-306c-11e3-9536-0019bb2963f4.html

Good, now get the bill to the governor's desk. 

[Molandfreak]

70 mph speed Limit bill clears committee

Press release | Posted: Tuesday, October 8, 2013 5:52 pm
It also requires the DOT to prepare a report regarding the suitability of a 70 mph speed limit on freeways and expressways that are not interstate highways.

http://www.leadertelegram.com/news/daily_updates/article_57ae311a-306c-11e3-9536-0019bb2963f4.html

Good, because most of WI 29 and U.S. 151 are definitely 70-ready.

[Jordanah1]

He'll, WI 57 to sturgeon bay, US 45 and US 10 north of Oshkosh, and between Appleton and marsh field are easily 70mph ready as well. My fear(s) however, are A) 'rural interstates'-does this mean that US(I) 41 from Oshkosh to kaukauna, or perhaps all the way to I 43 in Green Bay will be stuck at 65? Same thing for other freeways through larger cities in Wisconsin, I39/90 through Beloit Janesville, I90 in lacrosse, ect. B) the committed can decide not to raise any non interstate speed limits, so all other highways, deserving or not, cold remain in the slow lane

[mgk920]

I recall a few years ago when WisDOT released the results of a study that showed that US(I)-41 between Kaukauna and De Pere was the fastest segment of highway (average actual measured traffic speeds) in the entire state.  I believe it - you can be going near autobahn speed (130 km/h - 80 MPH) on it and it does not seem to be that fast at all.

Mike

[Jim920]

He'll, WI 57 to sturgeon bay, US 45 and US 10 north of Oshkosh, and between Appleton and marsh field are easily 70mph ready as well. My fear(s) however, are A) 'rural interstates'-does this mean that US(I) 41 from Oshkosh to kaukauna, or perhaps all the way to I 43 in Green Bay will be stuck at 65? Same thing for other freeways through larger cities in Wisconsin, I39/90 through Beloit Janesville, I90 in lacrosse, ect. B) the committed can decide not to raise any non interstate speed limits, so all other highways, deserving or not, cold remain in the slow lane

As a kid I used to live in Beloit from 1986-1992.  We occasionally traveled to Janesville and I remember when I-90 dropped from 65 or 55 through the Janesville area. By 1992 when we moved to Janesville the 55 limit was increased to 65.  The SL never dropped in the Beloit area that I can recall.

With the upcoming construction on I-39/90 from Madison to Illinois I can see the DOT not even bothering to sign this section 70 until after the construction is over.  Why bother replacing all the signs only to cover them up with 55's during construction or even replacing them again when construction is over.