The Future of US 12 in Wisconsin

[US 12 fan]

Has there been any news about what the plan will be at the US 12-Hwy 188 intersection outside Sauk City? Here is the site but I haven't seen any updates on this.

https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/projects/by-region/sw/us12-wis188intersection/default.aspx

I understand they are planning to start work on it in 2026.

[US 12 fan]

I just noticed they are going to put a roundabout at the US 12/18 and County W intersection outside Deerfield. The plan was revealed a few days ago.

https://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/projects/by-region/sw/us1218-intersection/0224handout.pdf

[SEWIGuy]

Eh. I don't hate roundabouts, but I am not sure that's a great place for one.

[TheCatalyst31]

I just noticed they are going to put a roundabout at the US 12/18 and County W intersection outside Deerfield. The plan was revealed a few days ago.

https://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/projects/by-region/sw/us1218-intersection/0224handout.pdf

I wonder if they'll end up doing anything about the County BN intersection, which is the other big intersection on that stretch that's just a two-way stop.

[The Ghostbuster]

They should probably install a roundabout at that intersection too. There was a corridor study for the US 12 corridor between CTH N and STH 26 between 2011 and 2014: https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/projects/by-region/sw/12nto26/default.aspx. It had some interesting things in it, but of course did not have the one thing I'd like to do to the corridor: four-lane US 12 between CTH N and at least Cambridge.

[dvferyance]

Eh. I don't hate roundabouts, but I am not sure that's a great place for one.

No the one place where I hate them are on these high-speed rural roads. These roads are meant for that high speed. If I have to keep slowing down to go through roundabouts then they might as well just lower the speed limit. Frankly that part of Hwy 12 west of Cambridge should be 4 lane.

[tchafe1978]

Has there been any news about what the plan will be at the US 12-Hwy 188 intersection outside Sauk City? Here is the site but I haven't seen any updates on this.

https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/projects/by-region/sw/us12-wis188intersection/default.aspx

I understand they are planning to start work on it in 2026.

The handout from the presentation at the PIM says it will be a signalized intersection.

[US 12 fan]

Has there been any news about what the plan will be at the US 12-Hwy 188 intersection outside Sauk City? Here is the site but I haven't seen any updates on this.

https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/projects/by-region/sw/us12-wis188intersection/default.aspx

I understand they are planning to start work on it in 2026.

The handout from the presentation at the PIM says it will be a signalized intersection.

I had a feeling they would do that.

[Badger39]

Eh. I don't hate roundabouts, but I am not sure that's a great place for one.

Vehicles traveling on 12/18 going west top a small hill before driving down to the intersection with Oak Park Rd/Highway W.  I have been rear ended turning north onto Oak Park Road.  They are REALLY going to have slow down speeds well ahead of the roundabout to prevent even more crashes.

[The Ghostbuster]

Maybe they should bump the speed limit on US 12/18 down to 45 MPH when approaching the new CTH W/Oak Park Rd. roundabout, and raise it back to 55 MPH once clear of the intersection.

[dvferyance]

Maybe they should bump the speed limit on US 12/18 down to 45 MPH when approaching the new CTH W/Oak Park Rd. roundabout, and raise it back to 55 MPH once clear of the intersection.

The better idea is to simply not build them on roads with a 55 MPH speed limit.

[SEWIGuy]

Maybe they should bump the speed limit on US 12/18 down to 45 MPH when approaching the new CTH W/Oak Park Rd. roundabout, and raise it back to 55 MPH once clear of the intersection.

The better idea is to simply not build them on roads with a 55 MPH speed limit.

I don't necessarily disagree, but I am not sure what the alternatives are. A light or four-way stop isn't any better, and actually could be worse. They aren't going to four-lane that entire stretch or separate the grades.

[triplemultiplex]

Presently, there are no turn lanes at this junction.  It would certainly be better than the status quo to add turn lanes.

[SEWIGuy]

Presently, there are no turn lanes at this junction.  It would certainly be better than the status quo to add turn lanes.

Oh. I was unaware that it didn't have turn lanes.

[The Ghostbuster]

I would prefer actual turn lanes being added to the roadway, instead of the roadway being widened to two lanes just before to just after the intersection. Traditionally, rural two-lane roadways have lacked turn lanes, although in some cases that is being rectified (e.g. the soon-to-begin reconstruction of US 51 from US 12/18 in Madison to Interstate 39/90 east of Stoughton: https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/projects/by-region/sw/us51-danecounty/default.aspx).

[dvferyance]

Maybe they should bump the speed limit on US 12/18 down to 45 MPH when approaching the new CTH W/Oak Park Rd. roundabout, and raise it back to 55 MPH once clear of the intersection.

The better idea is to simply not build them on roads with a 55 MPH speed limit.

I don't necessarily disagree, but I am not sure what the alternatives are. A light or four-way stop isn't any better, and actually could be worse. They aren't going to four-lane that entire stretch or separate the grades.

The alternative is leave it how it is.

[JREwing78]

I just noticed they are going to put a roundabout at the US 12/18 and County W intersection outside Deerfield. The plan was revealed a few days ago.

https://wisconsindot.gov/Documents/projects/by-region/sw/us1218-intersection/0224handout.pdf

What the hell was the purpose of the massive overpass and the reroute of Hwy 73 at US-12/18? I mean, if we're done with the pretense of US 12/18 being a through highway, then they could've just put in 2 roundabouts to solve the Hwy 73 issue and have been done with it.

[SEWIGuy]

Maybe they should bump the speed limit on US 12/18 down to 45 MPH when approaching the new CTH W/Oak Park Rd. roundabout, and raise it back to 55 MPH once clear of the intersection.

The better idea is to simply not build them on roads with a 55 MPH speed limit.

I don't necessarily disagree, but I am not sure what the alternatives are. A light or four-way stop isn't any better, and actually could be worse. They aren't going to four-lane that entire stretch or separate the grades.

The alternative is leave it how it is.

I mean...it's a dangerous intersection.

[midwesternroadguy]

Maybe they should bump the speed limit on US 12/18 down to 45 MPH when approaching the new CTH W/Oak Park Rd. roundabout, and raise it back to 55 MPH once clear of the intersection.

The better idea is to simply not build them on roads with a 55 MPH speed limit.

I don't necessarily disagree, but I am not sure what the alternatives are. A light or four-way stop isn't any better, and actually could be worse. They aren't going to four-lane that entire stretch or separate the grades.

The alternative is leave it how it is.

I mean...it's a dangerous intersection.

Actually, it was two dangerous intersections.  It seemed like a good way to improve safety and traffic flow. The road is busy enough at peak hours to avoid putting in two roundabouts in close proximity.  Considering the rapid growth of the Madison CMSA (1M by 2030), it's only going to get busier. 

[US 12 fan]

It looks like there is not going to be a Sauk City bypass. They are going to build a rails-to-trail connection where the bypass was being considered. Here are a couple of links:

https://wisconsinbikefed.org/the-great-sauk-state-trail-to-walking-iron-rail-to-trail-connection/

https://lwrd.danecounty.gov/documents/pdfs/Projects/Walking-Iron-Trail/1-17-24GST-WIT-WRRTC.pdf

[US 12 fan]

The US 12 project from Elkhorn to Highway 20-67 is scheduled to be finished next week. At some point, I hope they are planning to build a roundabout at the 12-20-67 intersection in the near future.

[The Ghostbuster]

I'm not surprised that there won't be a Sauk City Bypass. I always considered the prospects of one being constructed to be remote (like the long-proposed realignment of US 12 between Whitewater and Elkhorn). I guess we'll have to make do with the existing US 12 bypass that opened in 1942.

[mgk920]

There was a 'rail to trails' facility built under the US 10 freeway between WI 76 and US 45 (Winchester interchange) a short distance west of Appleton, opened in 2003.  I didn't need anywhere near the vertical clearance that an active railroad would have needed.

Mike

[JREwing78]

It looks like there is not going to be a Sauk City bypass. They are going to build a rails-to-trail connection where the bypass was being considered. Here are a couple of links:

https://wisconsinbikefed.org/the-great-sauk-state-trail-to-walking-iron-rail-to-trail-connection/

https://lwrd.danecounty.gov/documents/pdfs/Projects/Walking-Iron-Trail/1-17-24GST-WIT-WRRTC.pdf

I see nothing here that precludes construction of a US 12 bypass. The bypass was never going to be routed in that exact spot.

I'm not holding my breath for one to materialize anytime soon - WisDOT is clearly in no hurry to extend freeway anywhere along US 12. But this rail trail isn't the reason.

[The Ghostbuster]

The most the DOT has on making US 12 a freeway is this freeway conversion study: https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/projects/by-region/sw/12freeway/default.aspx. The last Public Information Meeting was in 2015, and it doesn't look like any of the improvements listed in the study will be implemented anytime soon.