Wisconsin notes

[I-39]

The TPC met today to discuss potential new projects today. They recommended dropping I-94 expansion in St. Croix Co and US 12 between Elkhorn and Whitewater from majors consideration. They recommended studying expanding I-90/I-94 between Wis Dells and Madison again and reviving I-94 in Milwaukee.

They're approving a new Wisconsin River Bridge for over $100
Million on I-39/90/94 and US 51 mostly as a 2 lane reconstruct between McFarland and I-39/I-90. In short no new "exciting"  projects.

I-90/94 between the Dells and Madison and I-94/Milwaukee should have never been dropped in the first place. That was a head scratcher to say the least.

What about a Sauk City bypass on US 12? Surely, that ought to gain some traction now that the restriction has been lifted and the need is there.

Is there a list of meeting minutes anywhere?

[The Ghostbuster]

Here is the meeting's information binder: https://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/about-wisdot/who-we-are/comm-couns/tpc/dec2020-binder.pdf.

[peterj920]

The TPC met today to discuss potential new projects today. They recommended dropping I-94 expansion in St. Croix Co and US 12 between Elkhorn and Whitewater from majors consideration. They recommended studying expanding I-90/I-94 between Wis Dells and Madison again and reviving I-94 in Milwaukee.

They're approving a new Wisconsin River Bridge for over $100
Million on I-39/90/94 and US 51 mostly as a 2 lane reconstruct between McFarland and I-39/I-90. In short no new "exciting"  projects.

I-90/94 between the Dells and Madison and I-94/Milwaukee should have never been dropped in the first place. That was a head scratcher to say the least.

What about a Sauk City bypass on US 12? Surely, that ought to gain some traction now that the restriction has been lifted and the need is there.

Is there a list of meeting minutes anywhere?

You can watch the meeting below:

https://youtu.be/if49Z8ciZB0

[fuller523]

The TPC met today to discuss potential new projects today. They recommended dropping I-94 expansion in St. Croix Co and US 12 between Elkhorn and Whitewater from majors consideration. They recommended studying expanding I-90/I-94 between Wis Dells and Madison again and reviving I-94 in Milwaukee.

They're approving a new Wisconsin River Bridge for over $100
Million on I-39/90/94 and US 51 mostly as a 2 lane reconstruct between McFarland and I-39/I-90. In short no new "exciting"  projects.

Well, there goes the US-12 corner cut to Whitewater.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Given the amount of money that was already invested in preparing I-94 for six-laning east of Hudson, that sucks.

[thspfc]

The TPC met today to discuss potential new projects today. They recommended dropping I-94 expansion in St. Croix Co and US 12 between Elkhorn and Whitewater from majors consideration. They recommended studying expanding I-90/I-94 between Wis Dells and Madison again and reviving I-94 in Milwaukee.

They're approving a new Wisconsin River Bridge for over $100
Million on I-39/90/94 and US 51 mostly as a 2 lane reconstruct between McFarland and I-39/I-90. In short no new "exciting"  projects.

How many times have they studied I-94 from the Dells to Madison? Hopefully this is the time when they finally do something about it, particularly between the Cascade Interchange and the official tourism exit of Wisconsin (a.k.a. the US-12 Baraboo/Lake Delton exit). Expansion of the triplex is a hot topic here and in the past I've been against it, but it can't wait much longer. It's not as dire of a need as the aforementioned stretch though. On the off chance that any work is done on I-94 in Milwaukee (politics, not gonna get into it), that would be the end of an amazing three (!) year period of no major construction of Milwaukee's freeways. I'm not gonna hold my breath though.

I haven't driven US-51 along that stretch recently but I recall there being work on the stretch from Stoughton to I-90 near Edgerton not long ago.

[JREwing78]

Another piece of the I-39/90 rebuild off the checklist: Ryan Rd. in Janesville under I-39/90 is open to traffic. This will be a critical link for local traffic while Hwy 26 and US-14 are rebuilt in the next couple of years.
https://www.facebook.com/WisconsinI3990Project/photos/a.140941179370711/2047040845427392/

[tchafe1978]

And in related news to the I-39/90 project:

https://www.beloitdailynews.com/news/local-news/interstate-construction-ahead-of-schedule-heading-into-final-year/article_5b27efa5-d147-5303-8802-2e7a91b8474e.html?fbclid=IwAR1vfdPpBhnNuc2OMrMNpZd3RlHlO3obeKComPnmr7jNIxnqpHJpbQNNj28

[triplemultiplex]

Here is the meeting's information binder: https://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/about-wisdot/who-we-are/comm-couns/tpc/dec2020-binder.pdf.

This document has some delightful things in it; especially when they compile facts about 39/90/94.
I encourage people to skip to page 112 in particular which contains a graphic that puts the lifespan of the Wisconsin River bridge into the context of Green Bay Packers quarterbacks over the years.

[skluth]

Here is the meeting's information binder: https://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/about-wisdot/who-we-are/comm-couns/tpc/dec2020-binder.pdf.

This document has some delightful things in it; especially when they compile facts about 39/90/94.
I encourage people to skip to page 112 in particular which contains a graphic that puts the lifespan of the Wisconsin River bridge into the context of Green Bay Packers quarterbacks over the years.

It would have been funnier if they used Bears QBs. Let's hear it for Billy Wade, Jim Harbaugh, and Smokin' Jay Cutler. 

[I-39]

Here is the meeting's information binder: https://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/about-wisdot/who-we-are/comm-couns/tpc/dec2020-binder.pdf.

This document has some delightful things in it; especially when they compile facts about 39/90/94.
I encourage people to skip to page 112 in particular which contains a graphic that puts the lifespan of the Wisconsin River bridge into the context of Green Bay Packers quarterbacks over the years.

In seriousness, I wonder if they will consider an expansion to four lanes in each direction from the Beltline to the I-39 split off?

[mgk920]

Here is the meeting's information binder: https://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/about-wisdot/who-we-are/comm-couns/tpc/dec2020-binder.pdf.

This document has some delightful things in it; especially when they compile facts about 39/90/94.
I encourage people to skip to page 112 in particular which contains a graphic that puts the lifespan of the Wisconsin River bridge into the context of Green Bay Packers quarterbacks over the years.

It would have been funnier if they used Bears QBs. Let's hear it for Billy Wade, Jim Harbaugh, and Smokin' Jay Cutler. 

How many different starting QBs did the Bears go through during Brett Favre's tenure?



Anyways, what I find most remarkable is that the outer portions of that bridge have been in service for nearly *60* years (when it was upgraded to six lanes in the 1980s, it was widened in the median of the original four lane highway).  Amazing!



And yes, I fully agree with replacing and upgrading it to eight lanes, even if six would be opened at the start.

Mike

[triplemultiplex]

In seriousness, I wonder if they will consider an expansion to four lanes in each direction from the Beltline to the I-39 split off?

I think that is most definitely on the table.  It was discussed in that study before it was shelved.  Some of us speculated that WisDOT floated a new-terrain I-94 built east and north of Sun Prairie and DeForest as a way to soft-peddle the expansion of the triplex to 8 lanes.  Make it seem like the more reasonable option, you know?

[The Ghostbuster]

Building a new-terrain freeway via the original study seemed very unlikely to me. Widening 39/90/94 to 8 lanes was the most likely route for the DOT to take. Even the proposed replacement of the Wisconsin River Bridge will allow provisions for a fourth general-purpose lane in each direction.

[thspfc]

In seriousness, I wonder if they will consider an expansion to four lanes in each direction from the Beltline to the I-39 split off?

I think that is most definitely on the table.  It was discussed in that study before it was shelved.  Some of us speculated that WisDOT floated a new-terrain I-94 built east and north of Sun Prairie and DeForest as a way to soft-peddle the expansion of the triplex to 8 lanes.  Make it seem like the more reasonable option, you know?

Yeah, that was interesting for like 10 minutes, and then reality set in. It's almost impossible to build new Interstates from scratch nowadays. Even I-11, I-69, and the North Carolinan madness arose from existing roads that were previously at or near Interstate standards.

[mgk920]

In seriousness, I wonder if they will consider an expansion to four lanes in each direction from the Beltline to the I-39 split off?

I think that is most definitely on the table.  It was discussed in that study before it was shelved.  Some of us speculated that WisDOT floated a new-terrain I-94 built east and north of Sun Prairie and DeForest as a way to soft-peddle the expansion of the triplex to 8 lanes.  Make it seem like the more reasonable option, you know?

Yeah, that was interesting for like 10 minutes, and then reality set in. It's almost impossible to build new Interstates from scratch nowadays. Even I-11, I-69, and the North Carolinan madness arose from existing roads that were previously at or near Interstate standards.

Ditto I-39 north of Portage and I-41.

Mike

[The Ghostbuster]

I just noticed on Google Maps that STH-23 (between Fond du Lac and Plymouth) is now shown as a four-lane divided highway from just east of Division Rd. to where the four-lane previously reduced to two lanes just west of CTH-P.

Western Terminus: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.7743387,-88.1511823,1669m/data=!3m1!1e3.

Eastern Terminus: https://www.google.com/maps/@43.7686211,-88.034474,1670m/data=!3m1!1e3.

Hopefully, as more of the roadway is four-laned, the map will be updated to show it. Unfortunately, the Street View along that stretch of STH-23 was last updated in November 2018. Who knows how long before "the Google car" goes along that corridor again?

[mgk920]

^^
Well, it is under construction and should be completed by this time next year.

Mike

[thspfc]

I used to travel to Sheboygan a lot, and I always found that stretch of WI-23 interesting. I wonder if a resurfacing of the existing four lane highway between US-151 and the top of the hill will be part of the project.

[peterj920]

I used to travel to Sheboygan a lot, and I always found that stretch of WI-23 interesting. I wonder if a resurfacing of the existing four lane highway between US-151 and the top of the hill will be part of the project.

The existing 4 lane stretch is set to be reconstructed including a jug handle interchange with County K and a roundabout with a side street just east of the US 151 interchange. 

[The Ghostbuster]

There will also be interchanges at CTH-UU and at CTH-G. Those new interchanges and all of the existing interchanges further east on STH-23 (CTH-C, STH-67, STH-57, STH-32, CTH-Y, Interstate 43, and N. Taylor Dr. in Sheboygan), should all have exit numbers based on the mileage from STH-23's southern terminus at STH-11 five miles east of Shullsburg.

[thspfc]

There will also be interchanges at CTH-UU and at CTH-G. Those new interchanges and all of the existing interchanges further east on STH-23 (CTH-C, STH-67, STH-57, STH-32, CTH-Y, Interstate 43, and N. Taylor Dr. in Sheboygan), should all have exit numbers based on the mileage from STH-23's southern terminus at STH-11 five miles east of Shullsburg.

No interchange at CTH-W?

[Great Lakes Roads]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fw-KcKqw1A8

The "Flex Lane" project on the Beltline in Madison is "officially" going ahead with construction to start in March 2021 and to be completed by December 2021. This will be the first one in the state, and if successful, WisDOT might use this technology in other areas with high amounts of traffic with no room to widen.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Is it sad that my takeaway from that video was wondering why they blued out the I-35W in their photo of a (formerly) real life functioning example?

[jakeroot]

I find it rather odd they are using a yellow "X" to warn of a merge and not an arrow as used elsewhere. I think an arrow is a bit clearer.