US-41 Interstate Conversion

[Fox 11 News]

Looking ahead to what's next on 41 & 29 interchange:
http://www.fox11online.com/dpp/news/local/green_bay/upcoming-41-and-29-intersection-changes

[mgk920]

Looking ahead to what's next on 41 & 29 interchange:
http://www.fox11online.com/dpp/news/local/green_bay/upcoming-41-and-29-intersection-changes

Interesting shot of crews setting box-beams for that ramp, as well as WisDOT's drive-through animation for the NB US(I)-41 to WB WI 29/32 ramp.

Thanx!

Mike

[triplemultiplex]

"It'll be interesting. It'll make us look like one of the big cities like Milwaukee and stuff like that,"

Now that's a memorable quote!

One of those big cities, like Milwaukee.  Or Wausau.... 

I wonder, Fox 11 dude, does our discussion of the big US/I 41 projects help inform your reporting about them?  I assume it can only help to have a group of well informed citizens discussing the ins and outs of those projects and the I-41 conversion.

[SSOWorld]

"It'll be interesting. It'll make us look like one of the big cities like Milwaukee and stuff like that,"

Now that's a memorable quote!

One of those big cities, like Milwaukee.  Or Wausau.... 

I wonder, Fox 11 dude, does our discussion of the big US/I 41 projects help inform your reporting about them?  I assume it can only help to have a group of well informed citizens discussing the ins and outs of those projects and the I-41 conversion.

Green Bay trumps Wausau big time, but still the latter deserved those interchanges.

[mgk920]

I'm pretty much expecting several of the ramps at the Bridgeview interchange (US(I)-41/US 10/WI 441 between Appleton and Neenah) to look like that, too, when that interchange is rebuilt, likely starting next year.



Mike

[Fox 11 News]

"It'll be interesting. It'll make us look like one of the big cities like Milwaukee and stuff like that,"

Now that's a memorable quote!

One of those big cities, like Milwaukee.  Or Wausau.... 

I wonder, Fox 11 dude, does our discussion of the big US/I 41 projects help inform your reporting about them?  I assume it can only help to have a group of well informed citizens discussing the ins and outs of those projects and the I-41 conversion.

It's always good to see what opinions and views are out there about whatever the topic. And these types of boards help us be exposed to a variety of views and things we may not have thought of - or topics/updates we wouldn't have seen otherwise or as quickly.

For topics like the US-41 interstate number selection, I don't think we would have had an understanding of the competing interests/rules/guidelines and interpretations thereof without looking at this board. And while we don't necessarily go into the same level of detail that board posters do, hopefully we can ask better questions and make fewer mistakes.

And, I readily admit that we post our stories to topic-interest boards because we hope people will turn to us for coverage - or just click on the story. So, we post a Gamblers feature on a USHL board, the US 41 feature here, etc.

- Brian Kerhin, assignment manager

[Big John]

http://www.fox11online.com/dpp/news/local/green_bay/stretch-of-highway-41-closing-march-22-24-2013

Now part of the NB freeway to close by Green Bay for the weekend.  Essentially a sanitary sewer relocation since the existing pipe is in the way of future work.  Equipment got stuck whole boring the hole deep under the freeway, so huge equipment was brought in to free that up and proceeded from the other end of the hole.  That also got stuck by an unknown obstacle so now the only way to free that up is to dig a trench from the top thus requiring the closure to the NB lanes.  Plus will cost WisDOT 3/4-1 1/2 million additional dollars to fix this.

[Alps]

http://www.fox11online.com/dpp/news/local/green_bay/stretch-of-highway-41-closing-march-22-24-2013

Now part of the NB freeway to close by Green Bay for the weekend.  Essentially a sanitary sewer relocation since the existing pipe is in the way of future work.  Equipment got stuck whole boring the hole deep under the freeway, so huge equipment was brought in to free that up and proceeded from the other end of the hole.  That also got stuck by an unknown obstacle so now the only way to free that up is to dig a trench from the top thus requiring the closure to the NB lanes.  Plus will cost WisDOT 3/4-1 1/2 million additional dollars to fix this.

Someone either failed to detect subsurface anomalies, or that work was skipped entirely.

[Fox 11 News]

and the road re-opened ahead of schedule:
http://www.fox11online.com/dpp/news/local/green_bay/northbound-lanes-of-highway-41-back-open-after-construction-work

[Fox 11 News]

A look at tub girder installation at 41 & 29. DOT says there were problems with the girders when first delivered.

http://www.fox11online.com/dpp/news/local/green_bay/overpass-girders-installed-at-41-29-interchange

[mgk920]

^^
"75 year design life" on those ramps?  Interesting.



Mike

[Fox 11 News]

This is just a bit off US41, but may be of interest. Work continues on the Cabela's for Green Bay - at US 41 and Lombardi Avenue.

Right now when you get off US 41 Northbound and go east on Lombardi, there's a merge lane. That will be extended to a new intersection about a block east of 41 to allow access into the Cabela's site. Work started Monday.

http://www.fox11online.com/dpp/news/local/green_bay/cabelas-begins-hiring-as-construction-continues

[mgk920]

This is just a bit off US41, but may be of interest. Work continues on the Cabela's for Green Bay - at US 41 and Lombardi Avenue.

Right now when you get off US 41 Northbound and go east on Lombardi, there's a merge lane. That will be extended to a new intersection about a block east of 41 to allow access into the Cabela's site. Work started Monday.

http://www.fox11online.com/dpp/news/local/green_bay/cabelas-begins-hiring-as-construction-continues

For those in here who are not from the area and may be unaware, Lombardi Ave east of US(I)-41 is the pre-1974 routing of US 41 (before the part through the Ashwaubenon interchange, WI 172, was completed) and a short distance farther east from the Cabela's site, and towering over that entire neighborhood area, is Lambeau Field (NFL Packers).  The WLUK-TV (Channel 11) studio building is just east of Lambeau Field on Lombardi Ave, BTW.

Mike

[hobsini2]

One of the things I love about the Green Bay area is that you can see Lambeau from the I-43 and Wis 172 bridges over the Fox. Sorry to go off tangent.

[Fox 11 News]

One of the things I love about the Green Bay area is that you can see Lambeau from the I-43 and Wis 172 bridges over the Fox. Sorry to go off tangent.

then you might like this story;
http://www.fox11online.com/dpp/news/local/green_bay/lambeaus-scoreboards-from-a-distance

[hobsini2]

One of the things I love about the Green Bay area is that you can see Lambeau from the I-43 and Wis 172 bridges over the Fox. Sorry to go off tangent.

then you might like this story;
http://www.fox11online.com/dpp/news/local/green_bay/lambeaus-scoreboards-from-a-distance

That's an awesome side story Fox 11. I am not surprised that someone in your news department came up with the idea.  I was unaware of the story you did on it in last August.

[GeekJedi]

That's an awesome story!  It's amazing how the stadium has grown over the years and how clearly it can now be seen from I-43 and WI-172.

[cwm1276]

Is another section of dridge going in?  I have been seeing some larger girders going up 39. Usually they are parked at the old Rochelle, IL truck pull off for the night.  They look similar to the ones in the pictures.

[gbgoose]

Is another section of dridge going in?  I have been seeing some larger girders going up 39. Usually they are parked at the old Rochelle, IL truck pull off for the night.  They look similar to the ones in the pictures.

I would say yes.  There has been a couple sections that have gone up and another in process at the 41-29 interchange.

[mgk920]

There are still some incomplete flyover ramps at the US(I)-41/WI 29 'Shawano' interchange.

See the image for "US 41 @ WIS 29" in the site
http://www.511wi.gov/Web/Cameras.aspx?countyfilter=Brown&page=2

Mike

[Fox 11 News]

This is just north of the conversion project, so hopefully no one gets mad I put it here instead of the general Wisconsin notes.

Release we got from DOT today:

US 41 corridor study north of Green Bay completed
Corridor determined adequate to meet demands through 2035

(Green Bay) The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) northeast region office in Green Bay has announced the findings regarding a multi-year corridor study of US 41 in Brown County from north of County M (Lineville Road) in the village of Suamico to the US 41/141 interchange in the town of Abrams, Oconto County.  The study concluded in April 2013.

The study evaluated interchanges, adjacent frontage roads, traffic capacity, safety, and operations along this section of the US 41 corridor.  It considered what improvements would be needed for this highway to operate effectively through 2035. 

The findings were very positive and indicated that based on available traffic data within the study limits, the current stretch of US 41 north of Green Bay will continue to operate at an acceptable level to the year 2035. As a result of the study, no capacity expansion (adding of travel lanes) is recommended at this time.

WisDOT reported these findings at a meeting with local officials and other stakeholders at a meeting at the Suamico Village Hall on Wednesday, April 17. 

The department encourages local units of government to continue partnering with WisDOT in maintaining acceptable US 41 operations and requested local officials consider coordinating with WisDOT's NE Region early in the process to discuss development plans near or at the US 41 interchanges within the study area.

[mgk920]

I agree that that part of US 41/141, although carrying a very healthy amount of traffic, is not being overwhelmed by it and the recent freeway upgrades should carry it for at least the next 20 years.

OTOH, I can easily see a need for six-lane upgrades between Scheuring Rd in De Pere (south end of the current six-lane upgrade project in the Green Bay area) and WI 15/Northland Ave in the NW Appleton area (north end of the current six lanes in the Appleton-Oshkosh area) within that time frame as traffic is starting to overwhelm it - and not just after Packer games (often operates at LOS D during commuter drive times).

North of Green Bay, I would be trying to strong-arm MDOT into developing a four-lane US 41 bypass freeway in the Marinette, WI/Menominee, MI area.

Mike

[Molandfreak]

I agree that that part of US 41/141, although carrying a very healthy amount of traffic, is not being overwhelmed by it and the recent freeway upgrades should carry it for at least the next 20 years.

OTOH, I can easily see a need for six-lane upgrades between Scheuring Rd in De Pere (south end of the current six-lane upgrade project in the Green Bay area) and WI 15/Northland Ave in the NW Appleton area (north end of the current six lanes in the Appleton-Oshkosh area) within that time frame as traffic is starting to overwhelm it - and not just after Packer games (often operates at LOS D during commuter drive times).

North of Green Bay, I would be trying to strong-arm MDOT into developing a four-lane US 41 bypass freeway in the Marinette, WI/Menominee, MI area.

Mike

Good luck with that... I don't think MDOT could care less about traffic levels in the UP 

[Fox 11 News]

latest project update:


Massive tub girders holding flyover ramps to rise up in Green Bay
Full closures of US 41 and WIS 29 will take place. Expect significant delay.

(Green Bay)  Massive steel tub girders that help create the transportation arteries in the heart of the Brown County US 41 Corridor Expansion project are about to change Green Bay's skyline forever. Construction crews will lift the girders, which support the flyover ramps, beginning Friday night, May 10. This means numerous road closures and detours for motorists in one of the busiest intersections in northeast Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) Northeast Region office in Green Bay is announcing that crews will lift and set all the steel tub girders that will support the WIS 29/US 41 interchange flyover ramps during the next few weeks. This will prompt a series of necessary nighttime, full closures of US 41 and WIS 29 and adjacent on/off-ramps. The first girders are scheduled to go up overnight Friday, May 10 and Monday, May 13 over WIS 29. Crews will then set numerous other girders above the highways over the next 35-45 days, weather dependent.

In order to safely lift and set the girders over roads, parts of the interchange must be completely shut down and traffic diverted. To reduce delays for the traveling public, the tub girders will be set during the overnight hours and scheduled for completion by 6 a.m. As with all construction, unexpected delays could force closure of critical roads into the morning rush hour.

"WisDOT has created contingency plans to inform the public should a girder lift and set begin that night and spill into morning rush hour," said Will Dorsey, Director, Northeast Region. "We don't take closing a highway lightly. We have communication tools to get motorists the information they need quickly, and minimize any inconvenience."   

WisDOT will send a road closure alert and suggested detour to local media, the US 41 website, and social media a day before the expected girder lift and set. By 4 a.m. WisDOT will know if a lift is going to affect peak morning traffic. The department will then:
Inform northeast Wisconsin media before 5 a.m.
Place electronic, roadside messaging boards
Update the closure on the US 41 website www.us41wisconsin.gov
Display on WisDOT's 511 traffic alert website www.511wi.gov
Tweet to US 41 followers on Twitter at @WisconsinUS41
Post to US 41 Facebook page: www.facebook.com/WisconsinUS41

To get instant access to US 41 information via tweets or Facebook posts to your timeline, simply like the Facebook page or follow the US 41 project on Twitter.

"We have highway closure templates and detour maps ready to go if needed," said Dorsey. "Ideally, we would like to choose 40 or so days and say, 'This is it. These are the days we'll be placing the tub girders.' But we can't do that because of Mother Nature."

According to Dorsey, everyone will know a day or two in advance of a full highway or ramp closure for a girder lift overnight, and WisDOT will get the word out by 5 a.m. if that lift spills into rush hour. Both wind and weather can affect the girder lifts. Cancelations and modification of girder lifts can take place at any time. Please remember that all lane restrictions and work operations are weather dependent and subject to change.

[mgk920]

I drove down to Oshkosh earlier today and found that except for a very short section around Neevin Rd where the left lane is still down northbound for some 'touch up' pavement repairs, the upgrade project is now complete, the bandages have been pulled aside and all six lanes are open for normal speed travel from Neenah southward to US 45, interchange 120 (Algoma Interchange) in Oshkosh.



Mike