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Started by mgk920, May 30, 2012, 02:33:31 AM

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JREwing78

Quote from: mgk920 on July 06, 2014, 11:03:35 PM
Quote from: GeekJedi on July 06, 2014, 06:26:30 PM
Driving up to Waupun via WI-26 today...has WisDOT ever considered moving WI-26 over to CTH-A?  While it may not be more direct - it is definitely faster, especially with CTH-A being resurfaced and "smoothed out" a few years back.

From what I am aware of, I believe that that is the near to mid-term plan.  IMHO, County 'A' would not have been rebuilt as it was if it were to always be just another lowly county highway.

Deeper into the future, I can see it being replaced with a new-ROW WI 26 that would extend the four lanes to US 151 at the southeast 'corner' of Beaver Dam.

Mike

It makes it all the more confounding that County A passes right through Oak Grove rather than bypassing it. The entire stretch of Hwy 26 north of Janesville (with the exception of Johnson Creek) bypasses every population center all the way to County A. That 30mph stretch is a nasty speed trap, and will be more so once the 4-laning of Hwy 16/26 to Hwy 16/60 is completed.


on_wisconsin

#376
QuotePlan commission gives the go-ahead for new I-94 exit
Posted: Aug 04, 2014 9:53 PM CST
By Kristen Shill


Eau Claire (WQOW) - Plans for a new Eau Claire exit off of I-94 onto Cameron Street are moving forward.

The owner of land near the proposed interchange has asked the city to purchase the land, which is what the plan commission recommended Monday night. Members of the commission say the purchase is in line with the city's comprehensive plan. The proposal will now go before the Eau Claire City Council. At that time it's expected a dollar amount for the possible purchase will be made public.
http://www.wqow.com/story/26196007/2014/08/04/plan-commission-gives-the-go-ahead-for-new-i-94-exit
Location: http://goo.gl/maps/NfrDZ

If built I can easily see this becoming the preferred exit for downtown access.
"Speed does not kill, suddenly becoming stationary... that's what gets you" - Jeremy Clarkson

mgk920

Quote from: on_wisconsin on August 05, 2014, 10:59:39 AM
QuotePlan commission gives the go-ahead for new I-94 exit
Posted: Aug 04, 2014 9:53 PM CST
By Kristen Shill


Eau Claire (WQOW) - Plans for a new Eau Claire exit off of I-94 onto Cameron Street are moving forward.

The owner of land near the proposed interchange has asked the city to purchase the land, which is what the plan commission recommended Monday night. Members of the commission say the purchase is in line with the city's comprehensive plan. The proposal will now go before the Eau Claire City Council. At that time it's expected a dollar amount for the possible purchase will be made public.
http://www.wqow.com/story/26196007/2014/08/04/plan-commission-gives-the-go-ahead-for-new-i-94-exit
Location: http://goo.gl/maps/NfrDZ

If built I can easily see this becoming the preferred exit for downtown access.

It's also the historic routing of the Yellowstone Trail.

Anyways, I wonder if the City has plans to reconnect Folsom St across I-94 when its development gets to that point.

Mike

triplemultiplex

I've been adding an interchange at this location in my fictional sketches for years.  Good to hear!

Eau Claire really got short-changed on freeway access when I-94 was first built.  There wasn't even an interchange at WI 93 until much later, so that's just 3 exits for a fairly large city. (US 53, WI 37 & US 12/CTH EE)

I'm still waiting for a SB->EB flyover at US 53; then they will really have what is needed in Eau Claire.
"That's just like... your opinion, man."

on_wisconsin

Update:
QuoteCouncil buys land for possible I-94 exit
Posted: Aug 12, 2014 10:41 PM CST
By Kristen Shill


Eau Claire (WQOW) — The Eau Claire City Council voted in favor of purchasing a parcel of land near I-94 and Cameron Street for $29,000.

The city has discussed the possibility of building a new exit from I-94 that would funnel traffic into downtown Eau Claire. Council member Lewis is the only one who voted against it.
http://www.wqow.com/story/26265583/2014/08/12/council-buys-land-for-possible-i-94-exit

"Speed does not kill, suddenly becoming stationary... that's what gets you" - Jeremy Clarkson

texaskdog

Quote from: triplemultiplex on August 06, 2014, 02:55:29 PM
I've been adding an interchange at this location in my fictional sketches for years.  Good to hear!

Eau Claire really got short-changed on freeway access when I-94 was first built.  There wasn't even an interchange at WI 93 until much later, so that's just 3 exits for a fairly large city. (US 53, WI 37 & US 12/CTH EE)

I'm still waiting for a SB->EB flyover at US 53; then they will really have what is needed in Eau Claire.

Why wasn't 94 built closer in?  It's like Eau Claire was an afterthought.

SEWIGuy

Quote from: texaskdog on August 13, 2014, 10:21:25 AM
Quote from: triplemultiplex on August 06, 2014, 02:55:29 PM
I've been adding an interchange at this location in my fictional sketches for years.  Good to hear!

Eau Claire really got short-changed on freeway access when I-94 was first built.  There wasn't even an interchange at WI 93 until much later, so that's just 3 exits for a fairly large city. (US 53, WI 37 & US 12/CTH EE)

I'm still waiting for a SB->EB flyover at US 53; then they will really have what is needed in Eau Claire.

Why wasn't 94 built closer in?  It's like Eau Claire was an afterthought.


I'm not sure it could have been.  It's located less than two miles south of US-12, and undoubtedly there was a good deal of development south of US-12 when they routed I-94 through the area.  It is about the same distance from the "city center" when compared to similar cities in Wisconsin. 

SEWIGuy

Quote from: JREwing78 on July 07, 2014, 01:18:29 AM
Quote from: mgk920 on July 06, 2014, 11:03:35 PM
Quote from: GeekJedi on July 06, 2014, 06:26:30 PM
Driving up to Waupun via WI-26 today...has WisDOT ever considered moving WI-26 over to CTH-A?  While it may not be more direct - it is definitely faster, especially with CTH-A being resurfaced and "smoothed out" a few years back.

From what I am aware of, I believe that that is the near to mid-term plan.  IMHO, County 'A' would not have been rebuilt as it was if it were to always be just another lowly county highway.

Deeper into the future, I can see it being replaced with a new-ROW WI 26 that would extend the four lanes to US 151 at the southeast 'corner' of Beaver Dam.

Mike

It makes it all the more confounding that County A passes right through Oak Grove rather than bypassing it. The entire stretch of Hwy 26 north of Janesville (with the exception of Johnson Creek) bypasses every population center all the way to County A. That 30mph stretch is a nasty speed trap, and will be more so once the 4-laning of Hwy 16/26 to Hwy 16/60 is completed.


If they route WI-26 onto County A, they will undoubtedly have to bypass Oak Grove somehow.  They will also have to completely re-do the WI-26 / County A intersection.  I think they are just trying to figure out what the best options for WI-26 are at this point.

triplemultiplex

Quote from: texaskdog on August 13, 2014, 10:21:25 AM
Why wasn't 94 built closer in?  It's like Eau Claire was an afterthought.

They did well to build I-94 beyond the existing sprawl at the time.  Most of the predominantly residential area between US 12 and I-94 was already there when the interstate was built.  The priority was definitely thru traffic. 
"That's just like... your opinion, man."

mgk920

I can't even begin to imagine how much it would have cost in money *and time* had the decision been made to upgrade existing US 12 through town instead of using that new-ROW for I-94, too.

:wow:

Mike

Joe The Dragon

Quote from: triplemultiplex on August 06, 2014, 02:55:29 PM
I've been adding an interchange at this location in my fictional sketches for years.  Good to hear!

Eau Claire really got short-changed on freeway access when I-94 was first built.  There wasn't even an interchange at WI 93 until much later, so that's just 3 exits for a fairly large city. (US 53, WI 37 & US 12/CTH EE)

Where they building off of old toll plans with limited exits?

GeekJedi

Quote from: SEWIGuy on August 13, 2014, 10:46:22 AM

If they route WI-26 onto County A, they will undoubtedly have to bypass Oak Grove somehow.  They will also have to completely re-do the WI-26 / County A intersection.  I think they are just trying to figure out what the best options for WI-26 are at this point.

Why would they need to completely re-do the intersection?  It looks like it could be easily converted to a curve with what's now WI-26 north of A bent in to a "T" intersection past the apex of the curve.  Done.

There's also probably no rush to bypass Oak Grove.  It's not any worse (in fact it's easier) than driving through Juneau.
"Wisconsin - The Concurrency State!"

mgk920

Quote from: GeekJedi on August 13, 2014, 10:19:48 PM
Quote from: SEWIGuy on August 13, 2014, 10:46:22 AM

If they route WI-26 onto County A, they will undoubtedly have to bypass Oak Grove somehow.  They will also have to completely re-do the WI-26 / County A intersection.  I think they are just trying to figure out what the best options for WI-26 are at this point.

Why would they need to completely re-do the intersection?  It looks like it could be easily converted to a curve with what's now WI-26 north of A bent in to a "T" intersection past the apex of the curve.  Done.

There's also probably no rush to bypass Oak Grove.  It's not any worse (in fact it's easier) than driving through Juneau.

I can see what is now WI 26 from the north being curved to feed into that county highway (County 'KW') that is just north of County 'A', with the part of WI 26 from there through Juneau to WI 33 being renumbered as a western extension of 'WI 28'.  WI 26 from WI 33 northward to US 151 (middle interchange) could then be downgraded to a county highway.

:nod:

Mike

SEWIGuy

Quote from: GeekJedi on August 13, 2014, 10:19:48 PM
Quote from: SEWIGuy on August 13, 2014, 10:46:22 AM

If they route WI-26 onto County A, they will undoubtedly have to bypass Oak Grove somehow.  They will also have to completely re-do the WI-26 / County A intersection.  I think they are just trying to figure out what the best options for WI-26 are at this point.

Why would they need to completely re-do the intersection?  It looks like it could be easily converted to a curve with what's now WI-26 north of A bent in to a "T" intersection past the apex of the curve.  Done.


I agree, but that is what I meant by "complete redo."  We are just splitting hairs.

jreuschl

#389
Why does WisDOT only use the Clearview sign fonts on part of the Beltline in Madison?


iPad HD

mgk920

Quote from: jreuschl on August 15, 2014, 01:11:24 AM
Why does WisDOT only use the Clearview sign fonts on part of the Beltline in Madison?


iPad HD

It was an experiment.

Mike

SEWIGuy

Quote from: triplemultiplex on August 13, 2014, 07:55:19 PM
Quote from: texaskdog on August 13, 2014, 10:21:25 AM
Why wasn't 94 built closer in?  It's like Eau Claire was an afterthought.

They did well to build I-94 beyond the existing sprawl at the time.  Most of the predominantly residential area between US 12 and I-94 was already there when the interstate was built.  The priority was definitely thru traffic. 


I-43 near Sheboygan and Manitowoc...
I-90 near Beloit, Janesville and LaCrosse...
i-94 near Racine and Kenosha...

All were built with similar intentions.  None of them pass near the center of cities of similar size to Eau Claire.

SEWIGuy

WI-26 expansion update for the section south of Fort Atkinson.

http://www.gazettextra.com/20140803/another_part_of_highway_26_project_nears_completion

What surprises me is the mid-October completion date.  I drove it this morning and all of the concrete work is done except for some crossovers.  The grading for the blacktop shoulders looks to be near completion as well.  It looks to me that they will be done earlier than that.

JREwing78

Quote from: SEWIGuy on August 19, 2014, 02:11:33 PM
WI-26 expansion update for the section south of Fort Atkinson.

http://www.gazettextra.com/20140803/another_part_of_highway_26_project_nears_completion

What surprises me is the mid-October completion date.  I drove it this morning and all of the concrete work is done except for some crossovers.  The grading for the blacktop shoulders looks to be near completion as well.  It looks to me that they will be done earlier than that.

Google cached link: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:-XGwLvkRAcIJ:www.gazettextra.com/20140803/another_part_of_highway_26_project_nears_completion+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a

I suspect they will have traffic in at least one lane on each carriageway just prior to or after Labor Day, with the remaining month or so devoted to work in the median. Much of that work will take place at the Rock/Jefferson county line, where a chunk of the old roadway has to come out and grading and drainage work needs to happen.

DaBigE

New Zoo interchange animations/drive thrus have been posted on the WisDOT YouTube channel: http://youtu.be/dvp4HKAUhj0 -- there looks to be about 4 or 5 animations.
"We gotta find this road, it's like Bob's road!" - Rabbit, Twister

DaBigE

The Mineral Point Road/Junction Road jug handle is now complete in Madison. Story from WKOW-Madison.
"We gotta find this road, it's like Bob's road!" - Rabbit, Twister

mahaasma

The Viroqua and Westby bypasses (US-14/61) planned ten years ago are being cancelled.  They already four laned the road between the two communities.

This would have saved a little time traveling on 14/61 or WI-27, but it's kind of hard to believe someone actually proposed this as a priority project....

http://lacrossetribune.com/vernonbroadcaster/news/local/viroqua-westby-bypasses-will-not-be-constructed/article_349798a7-fb5f-527b-8672-f5c4bc75891c.html

mgk920

^^

I wasn't at all happy with how they were laid out, anyways.  They should have been set up as part of a potentially larger, long-term 'system' through traffic highway for the US 61 corridor, like with all of the other corridor upgrades elsewhere in the state, rather than the piecemeal bypasses complete with 90 degree intersection turns at a couple of their ends that were proposed.

Not a huge loss, IMHO.  If you're gonna do it, do it right, and the way that they were proposed wasn't right.

Mike

SEWIGuy

My recollection was that the Viroqua and Westby bypasses were fast-tracked the same time as the US-51 Wausau improvements were and some people suggested that it was done for political reasons more than anything.  The fact is that these are lightly traveled roads (about 4500 per day), in a sparsely populated portion of the state that isn't growing terribly fast.  Furthermore neither US-14 nor US-61 are heavily traveled corridors.  Better to invest that money elsewhere.

triplemultiplex

From the La Crosse Tribune article:
QuoteIn 2011, the DOT built a four-lane connecting highway between Viroqua and Westby. The stretch, coined as the "Uff-da-ban,"  took land away from adjacent farms, but made the trip between the two cities a seven-minute drive.

"Uff-da-ban"?   :-D :-D :clap:
We might have to explain that one for our non-upper Midwest members.
"That's just like... your opinion, man."



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