US 151 in Fond du Lac

[MantyMadTown]

I'd like to point out my grievances while driving along US 151 in Fond du Lac, WI:

In 2015, WISDOT implemented this plan for new improvements on US 151 in Fond du Lac, which includes the clusterfuck that is the interchange with county highway V and US 45:
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.7440376,-88.4109493,15z

I first noticed this interchange while driving to the BP gas station along highway V in 2017, and I found this gas station confusing to get to using the new interchange, because you have to navigate the roundabout between highway V and the new routing of US 45, and the new interchange also requires you to go out of your way to get to the gas station. However, the new way to the gas station is the least of my worries. This interchange would've been manageable, had WISDOT not also built this interchange to accommodate the future routing of US 45.

According to the plan, US 45 is rerouted along WIS 23/W Johnson St until it reaches I-41, and it follows I-41 until it reaches US 151, where it continues along 151 to this new interchange, which navigates you through new roadway until it goes back to its normal route. The old routing of US 45 inside Fond du Lac was returned to local control.

The fact that WISDOT rerouted US 45 along the new roadway makes it much harder for drivers to navigate between 45 and 151. I don't see anything wrong with using the old jughandle ramps, as far as navigation is concerned. Now with the new interchange, it requires you to take an extensive detour from US 45 to 151 NB, and to US 45 from 151 SB. This all results in an interchange that is difficult to get around and creates extra roadway that was definitely not needed.

The decision to include US 45 in this interchange was really unnecessary. This interchange could've very well been a folded diamond interchange, without the extra roadway to accommodate US 45. They could've built a second interchange connecting 151 and 45, or simply built an overpass on 45 without building anything else. If it were up to me I would've rerouted 45 along a roadway south of 151, probably continuing on highway V until it gets to Eden.
I don't understand why WISDOT would create such a confusing and complicated interchange that doesn't help drivers and ultimately serves as a waste of space. There are better ways for this interchange could be done, so why not do it a different way?

I feel like Fond du Lac could also use access ramps to county highway K near the intersection with Reinzl Rd, since the plan intends to eliminate the intersection of highway 151 and Rienzi Rd in the future and WISDOT has already built an overpass on county highway T. Drivers should still have access to highway K from 151 between WIS 23 and US 45.

I frequently use highway 151 south of the WIS 23 interchange while traveling between Madison and my hometown of Manitowoc, so I am sort of familiar with the area. However, I don't really use the local roads very often. I'm no WISDOT official, but I don't think the current plans for 151 will help Fond du Lac area drivers, and they should really be fixed.

[SEWIGuy]

It all goes back to the poor design of the US-151 bypass.

[SEWIGuy]

BTW, you are right about the clusterf*ck routing of US-45.  South of FdL, Highway V is the quicker route to Kewaskum.  Swapping the two would be fine with me. 

Another option is just continuing US-45 along south I-41 until the WI-28 exit, then route it east along WI-28 to Kewaskum. 

[mgk920]

BTW, you are right about the clusterf*ck routing of US-45.  South of FdL, Highway V is the quicker route to Kewaskum.  Swapping the two would be fine with me. 

Another option is just continuing US-45 along south I-41 until the WI-28 exit, then route it east along WI-28 to Kewaskum.

If I had my way, and this has been mentioned in here many times before, I would reroute US 45 to follow I-41 the entire way between metro Milwaukee and the Algoma Interchange split in Oshkosh.  As for existing US 45, a different number would be fine, such as rerouting WI 145 to follow the I-41/US 45 freeway between the Park Place area in Milwaukee (Granville Interchange) and the West Bend Spur split (Richfield Interchange) and then replace US 45 from there to US 151 (the West Bend Spur freeway to also become 'I-541'?).

US 45 between FdL and Oshkosh can either be turned over to the counties or reflagged as WI 76.

Mike

[mgk920]

It all goes back to the poor design of the US-151 bypass.

Several of us in here were sounding those exact warning sirens back when this was being discussed at planning hearings/PIMs during the late 1990s and very early 00s, too.



Mike

[SEWIGuy]

BTW, you are right about the clusterf*ck routing of US-45.  South of FdL, Highway V is the quicker route to Kewaskum.  Swapping the two would be fine with me. 

Another option is just continuing US-45 along south I-41 until the WI-28 exit, then route it east along WI-28 to Kewaskum.

If I had my way, and this has been mentioned in here many times before, I would reroute US 45 to follow I-41 the entire way between metro Milwaukee and the Algoma Interchange split in Oshkosh.  As for existing US 45, a different number would be fine, such as rerouting WI 145 to follow the I-41/US 45 freeway between the Park Place area in Milwaukee (Granville Interchange) and the West Bend Spur split (Richfield Interchange) and then replace US 45 from there to US 151 (the West Bend Spur freeway to also become 'I-541'?).

US 45 between FdL and Oshkosh can either be turned over to the counties or reflagged as WI 76.

Mike

I like your rerouting idea better than mine.  Especially the WI-145 and WI-76 extensions. 

[NE2]

If you don't like going that way, use CTH K.

[MantyMadTown]

I don't actually use 45, and K won't help me get to where I'm going. My concern is mostly for local drivers who use 45 and K, not people who use the 151 bypass like me. The upgrades of 151 are ruining access to those two roads.

[MantyMadTown]

It all goes back to the poor design of the US-151 bypass.

Several of us in here were sounding those exact warning sirens back when this was being discussed at planning hearings/PIMs during the late 1990s and very early 00s, too.



Mike

So is there a better way you wish the bypass to be designed? I like the general routing but I wish the access to some of the roads could be redone.

[JREwing78]

Clearly, the US-151 bypass was never intended to provide long-term access to WI-175, US-45, or County K/Rienzi Rd. The current interchange with County V appears to be a cheap-as-possible effort to maintain US-45 access. It's the kind of thing that's confusing for a non-local but wouldn't be given a second thought by a local.

Long-term, it makes more sense just to drop US-45 from the route altogether, replacing it with an extension of WI-55 south of Fond du Lac. Multiplex it with US-151 to WI-23, then jog over to County K and continue south to I-41.

US-45 north from FdL to Oshkosh could be replaced by WI-76. For that matter, it could also replace WI-175 all the way to Milwaukee. It would do a lot to clarify how to navigate the area.

[SEWIGuy]

Clearly, the US-151 bypass was never intended to provide long-term access to WI-175, US-45, or County K/Rienzi Rd. The current interchange with County V appears to be a cheap-as-possible effort to maintain US-45 access. It's the kind of thing that's confusing for a non-local but wouldn't be given a second thought by a local.

Long-term, it makes more sense just to drop US-45 from the route altogether, replacing it with an extension of WI-55 south of Fond du Lac. Multiplex it with US-151 to WI-23, then jog over to County K and continue south to I-41.

US-45 north from FdL to Oshkosh could be replaced by WI-76. For that matter, it could also replace WI-175 all the way to Milwaukee. It would do a lot to clarify how to navigate the area.

Keep WI-175 with that number.  It implies a minor route, which it is.

[SEWIGuy]

It all goes back to the poor design of the US-151 bypass.

Several of us in here were sounding those exact warning sirens back when this was being discussed at planning hearings/PIMs during the late 1990s and very early 00s, too.



Mike

So is there a better way you wish the bypass to be designed? I like the general routing but I wish the access to some of the roads could be redone.

The Fond du Lac bypass, similar to the Whitewater bypass, was initially designed "on the cheap."  They had a lot of at-grade intersections with lights and signs. 

My recollection is that a couple of the interchanges had to be "retrofitted" to the bypass instead of designed within the original project.  I think that's the reason why that County V / US-45 interchange is such a mess.

[dvferyance]

I think when they rerouted US-45 what they should have done is rerouted it over Hwy V from Eden northward. That way it could directly meet up with the interchange would make far more sense than having it head over on a frontage road. But of course WISDOT is notoriously known for the most illogical routing changes.

[MantyMadTown]

I think when they rerouted US-45 what they should have done is rerouted it over Hwy V from Eden northward. That way it could directly meet up with the interchange would make far more sense than having it head over on a frontage road. But of course WISDOT is notoriously known for the most illogical routing changes.

That's what I said. I think continuing 45 along highway V to Eden makes way more sense than its current routing with the new interchange.

[triplemultiplex]

There's a lot to hate about the US 151 bypass as originally constructed.  It's been made worse by the addition of a business park and related local streets in the northeast quadrant of the I-41 interchange.  That's just shitty planning.

Assuming a real freeway was not in the cards right away, what should've been done is to get your r/w for the future system interchange (cloverleaf?) at I-41; build your 'temporary' diamond there.  Grade separate Martin Rd right from the beginning.  Have an interchange at CTH V and no access at existing US 45.  Get yourself a nice E-W local arterial street north of the bypass between US 45 and where you want your business park; maybe even bridge the RR with it for good measure.  Throw up a lot of "TO" signs to move anyone who cares between US 45 and 151.  Then you can puss out on the rest of the 151 bypass for later upgrade.

Later, we can come in and do a reroute of US 45 down CTH V or do Mike's idea with the freeway and WI 76 or whatever.  The crap with the traffic lights, new business park and jughandle ramps for US 45 should've never happened.  If that was going to cost "too much", I'd rather have its construction delayed than do it half-ass.