Regional Boards > Great Lakes and Ohio Valley
Wisconsin notes
triplemultiplex:
I drove WI 26 from I-94 to US 18 last weekend and I'd agree the 55 MPH is a little frustrating. If WisDOT hasn't posted it 65 with both Ft. Atkinson and Jefferson done, they're probably not going to until it's complete to Janesville if at all. It's nice that WisDOT will have a better alternative for the next time the Rock River floods out I-94.
It's kind of fun driving a new highway with a GPS:
Johnson Creek is going to become a tempting speed trap for the next couple decades.
JREwing78:
I was always a bit astounded at how low the Rock River bridges on I-94 are. The ones over the Rock on I-39/90 are at least 40 feet above the river.
The lack of height over the isthmus between Upper and Lower Nemahbin Lakes near Delafield surprised me too; somehow, i don't that one's as subject to flooding as the Rock River near Johnson Creek.
WI-26, once completed, will pull a lot of traffic away from using I-39/90 to US-151 (or I-43 to US-45 to US-41), moreso if it doesn't become known as a 60-mile long speed trap.
DaBigE:
--- Quote from: JREwing78 on June 09, 2012, 02:27:05 PM ---I was always a bit astounded at how low the Rock River bridges on I-94 are. The ones over the Rock on I-39/90 are at least 40 feet above the river.
--- End quote ---
IIRC, one of the two bridges was part of the original highway (Wis 30?). When I-94 came through, they tacked on the bridge next to it. I assume since that area doesn't see flooding on a regular basis, they decided to install the new bridge at roughly the same elevation to save a lot of earthwork/$$, (not to mention keep it from looking funny with bridges at two different heights).
tchafe1978:
^^
The eastbound bridge is a few feet higher than the westbound bridge over both the Rock River and the Crawfish River. That is one reason why during the flooding of 2008, they had to close the westbound side and have bidirectional traffic in the eastbound lanes for those few miles over the bridges. This was done after deciding that this was a preferable alternative to the detour, which was to take I-39/90 to Beloit, then I-43 to Milwaukee, and vice versa to westbound. There was really no other way around the flooded Rock River, as all the other crossings along the river were pretty much flooded out as well.
DaBigE:
--- Quote from: tchafe1978 on June 09, 2012, 09:30:21 PM ---^^
The eastbound bridge is a few feet higher than the westbound bridge over both the Rock River and the Crawfish River. That is one reason why during the flooding of 2008, they had to close the westbound side and have bidirectional traffic in the eastbound lanes for those few miles over the bridges. This was done after deciding that this was a preferable alternative to the detour, which was to take I-39/90 to Beloit, then I-43 to Milwaukee, and vice versa to westbound. There was really no other way around the flooded Rock River, as all the other crossings along the river were pretty much flooded out as well.
--- End quote ---
I remember that flooding quite well. I remember it being a PITA to get from Madison to anywhere north or east in the state, as there were spotty closures along US 151 as well as other state routes east of Madison. I remember the loaded highway trucks that they parked on the WB bridge to weigh it down any hopefully prevent the river current from washing it into the EB bridge.
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