Wisconsin notes

[mgk920]

The stretch between Milton and Watertown was in the 11,000-12,000 per day range.
http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/counts/docs/jefferson/jefferson2009.pdf

It's also a safe bet that WI-26 gets more truck traffic (though for some reason I can't find that data).

WI 26 is a fairly popular route for big-rigs to get between the NE part of the state (Oshkosh, Appleton, Green Bay, etc) and points south (I-39 south corridor and beyond), avoiding Chicagoland.

Mike

[SEWIGuy]

The stretch between Milton and Watertown was in the 11,000-12,000 per day range.
http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/counts/docs/jefferson/jefferson2009.pdf

It's also a safe bet that WI-26 gets more truck traffic (though for some reason I can't find that data).

WIDOT's interactive traffic counts map does not reflect those figures.

Regardless, my point isn't about WI-26 as it is about the dismissal of widening and bypass options for US-12/18 when, even if I am wrong about traffic counts, that corridor is just as busy as WI-26 between Madison and Cambridge.

[JREwing78]

There's definitely prioritization taking place. US-14 west of Madison and south to Darien is also purposely being delayed.

I heard somewhere Walker put the kibosh on the US-12 bypass of Fort Atkinson, and it wouldn't surprise me if there's orders from above similarly holding off on the Whitewater-Elkhorn US-12 relocation.

[mgk920]

^^
I expect those projects to be restarted in due time.

Mike

[SEWIGuy]

There's definitely prioritization taking place. US-14 west of Madison and south to Darien is also purposely being delayed.

I heard somewhere Walker put the kibosh on the US-12 bypass of Fort Atkinson, and it wouldn't surprise me if there's orders from above similarly holding off on the Whitewater-Elkhorn US-12 relocation.

He put the US-12 bypass around Fort Atkinson on hold for political reasons.  MGK is right...it will be restored eventually.

[JREwing78]

Over-height loads are apparently not limited to trucks.

Union Pacific will pay for damage to Milwaukee bridges
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/255929101.html

[JREwing78]

Could Madison create its own Millennium Park?
http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/writers/mike_ivey/could-madison-create-its-own-millennium-park/article_a3d82102-dae6-11e3-bcee-0019bb2963f4.html

"Should the city bury the messy intersection where John Nolen Drive, Blair Street and Willy Street converge to create a Madison version of Chicago's Millennium Park?

"It might prove difficult for a city this size. But a group of local architects and urban planners are urging people to give it some serious thought."

Link to report: http://host.madison.com/new-report-on-burying-john-nolen-drive/pdf_59677128-daea-11e3-aec5-0019bb2963f4.html

[SEWIGuy]

WIS-73 north of Edgerton to US-12/18 near Cambridge to be closed to thru traffic until November:
http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/projects/swregion/73/

A good thing, too - WisDOT is expecting this stretch to be a reliever route for I-39/90 traffic during construction or a major accident. This construction also includes the US-12/18 overpass of WIS-73.

I just shared some emails with WIDOT over this.  The new overpass will be constructed in 2015...starting in May, ending in December.

Here is a .pdf of the preferred alternative.

http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/projects/swregion/73/docs/map-prefalt.pdf

[on_wisconsin]

Back in April, WisDOT finally posted it's recommended alternative for the future rebuild of the I-94, US-12, WIS 29 interchange near Elk Mound:


http://www.dot.state.wi.us/projects/nwregion/94dunn/docs/map-alternative.pdf

That northern loop ramp looks awfully tight.

Somewhat interestingly, in the EA, the state mentions the possibility of WIS 29 becoming an Interstate at some point in the future: http://www.dot.state.wi.us/projects/nwregion/94dunn/docs/ea.pdf (page 6)

[Revive 755]

Somewhat interestingly, in the EA, the state mentions the possibility of WIS 29 becoming an Interstate at some point in the future: http://www.dot.state.wi.us/projects/nwregion/94dunn/docs/ea.pdf (page 6)

Which page?  Page 6/37 (6 of 144 using the pdf numbering) is completely blank.

Is there some reason I'm forgetting that this interchange can have the freeway/expressway connect to the minor road west of the interstate, yet for the I-39/I-90 interchange with I-43 the local road connection has to be via a completely separate interchange?

[on_wisconsin]

Which page?  Page 6/37 (6 of 144 using the pdf numbering) is completely blank.

Screenshot of info in question:

http://www.dot.state.wi.us/projects/nwregion/94dunn/docs/ea.pdf

[triplemultiplex]

Is there some reason I'm forgetting that this interchange can have the freeway/expressway connect to the minor road west of the interstate, yet for the I-39/I-90 interchange with I-43 the local road connection has to be via a completely separate interchange?

With this design, WisDOT is indeed bucking their recent trend of separating system and local movements in these types of places.  (Green Bay, Wausau, Beloit, Oshkosh)  I can only guess that there's less cost with a couple additional loop ramps rather than two separate interchanges built in close proximity.  Or perhaps since those other places are more urban, they want better local access whereas this one is much more rural with nothing but a small gas station close by?

I see a WB C/D lane for I-94.  The high speed ramps are so long, they had better be two lanes.  The small loops are low volume movements, so that's no big deal.

Making new system interchanges up to interstate standards just seems like good practice to me rather than anticipating an actual interstate in the works.  WisDOT has already drawn up freeway conversion plans for the entire important part of WI 29 to use as traffic warrants it (and prevent any more crossroads gas stations, etc. from popping up).  The construction between Marathon City and Wausau is that plan in action.  The stuff for the entire corridor is not online anymore, though, I noticed.

[mgk920]

My complaints WRT that option is the lack of legal non-motorized (pedestrian, bicycle, etc) access across I-94 in that vicinity, as well as for the left entrance/exit situation for US 12 to the west <-> WI 29 to the east - US 12 to the west connects to the major 'interstate-to-interstate' turns (EB to EB and WB to WB) on the left.

Mike

[SEWIGuy]

My complaints WRT that option is the lack of legal non-motorized (pedestrian, bicycle, etc) access across I-94 in that vicinity,

It looks as though they are keeping the current US-12 over I-94 even though it will no longer have the designation.

[mgk920]

My complaints WRT that option is the lack of legal non-motorized (pedestrian, bicycle, etc) access across I-94 in that vicinity,

It looks as though they are keeping the current US-12 over I-94 even though it will no longer have the designation.

Perhaps they could slip a pathway to connect US 12 to the west with that 'old' US 12 road to the east, along the south side of the EB to EB ramp under I-94 and then box-culverted under that WB to EB ramp.

As is sits now, 'US 12' follows WI 29 to the first interchange to the east of I-94 (WI 40), hops off of the freeway and then goes south across the railroad to feed into the previously existing road.  My guess is that that routing will be maintained.

Mike

[mgk920]

-Quick daytrip report-

I had the day off on Tuesday, 2014-06-03, so once I got some stuff done here, I hopped into the car and went driving.

First leg, I drove from Appleton, WI to the Beloit, WI/South Beloit, IL area.

Observations:
-Why did WisDOT change the controls for WI 26 between US(I)-41 and US 151 from 'Oshkosh' and 'Waupun' to 'Rosendale' - the last place in the state where most of those who live here in eastern Wisconsin ever want to go???  IMHO, that will just get more people lost.

-Work is well under way to upgrade the section of WI 26 from Watertown to WI 60 to four lanes and there are intermittent stretches where traffic has been shifted to the new northbound concrete. Work appears to be on-track for completion in fall of 2015.  Some ROW clearance has been done for the railroad bridge reversal just north of the WI 26/WI 16/60 interchange (the new four-lane WI 26 will go over Union Pacific's Adams line there, it now goes under in a very narrow cut), the latter of which is well under construction with beam-setting for the new bridge well under way.

-Four lane upgrades to WI 26 between Fort Atkinson and County 'N', just north of Milton, is also well under way with two-way traffic now using the new southbound concrete over that entire section.  Several overcrossing bridges are under construction, but for now it will not be a fully interstate-compatible freeway, as there will be several 'RIRO' intersections with side and overcrossing connector roads.  This looks to be on-track for completion this fall, if not sooner.

-Yes, those signalized intersections near the interstates (I-94 in Johnson Creek and I-39/90 in Janesville) are a real annoyance and should be addressed like with WI 29 at US(I)-41 in the Green Bay area and will soon be with US 10 (east) in Stevens Point.

One note here - traffic loading on WI 26 (from County 'A' southeast of Beaver Dam to I-39/90) was on a par with that on the Beloit end of I-43 and that last missing link between WI 60 and US 151 will have to be addressed.  North of County 'A', traffic disburses between WI 26 and County 'A'.  For a while now, my preference has been for WisDOT to build a new-ROW WI 26 from the WI 60 area to run NNW and then NW to feed directly into US 151 with free-flow ramps at the southeast 'corner' of Beaver Dam.

-Not a lot of six-lane upgrade work is apparent on I-39/90 south of WI 26 (yet), except that that new interchange with WI 11 on Janesville's east side looks *NICE*.  That prior cloverleaf was nasty, indeed!

-There is a lot of development going on in the southeast quadrant of the I-39/90/I-43 interchange in Beloit and the wisdom of restoring surface street access between that area and Milwaukee Rd (WI 81) in the city west of I-39/90 is very clear.  The most favored plans with WisDOT now appear to be similar in layout to what is being done at US(I)-41/WI 29 in the Green Bay area, with the street interchange being 'piggybacked' with the planned I-39/90/I-43 free-flow ramps.

-I stopped at the Illinois welcome center and picked up a couple of IDOT highway maps, dated 2013-2014.  Lots of interesting stuff in it, such as a new muni appearing ('Plattville') and the City of Joliet now extending over halfway from the Kendall-Will County line to IL 47.

Next leg, Beloit to Milwaukee:
-Not a lot new along I-43, but that former racetrack at Delevan looks truly sad.  The building sits half demolished with what appears to be no further work going on.

-All but one of the overcrossings where I-43 crosses over a side road between Mukwonago and the Milwaukee County line have been rebuilt to allow 'drop in' upgrading of the highway to six lanes.  Yes, I can anticipate that.

-The main Beloit city street in the rapidly developing SE quadrant of its interchange with I-39/90 was recently rebuilt.

Metro Milwaukee:
-The I-794 Hoan Bridge is being redecked, a big-shovel project in its own right.  Traffic is now using the northbound side of the bridge in a 1x2 arrangement with - a Zipper lane  .  There are several interesting lane shifts and detour routings at the bridge's north end, where I-794 makes the transition between east-west and north-south.

-New guardrails have been installed on the former boulevard street section of I-43 in the northshore suburbs.  How the FHWA accepted that part into the I-system as it sat, I'll never know.

-(I-41)/US 45 through the county grounds just north of the Zoo interchange is massively under construction and driving through, I couldn't figure out the layout of all of the new roadways and bridging.

Mike

[SEWIGuy]

-Quick daytrip report-

I had the day off on Tuesday, 2014-06-03, so once I got some stuff done here, I hopped into the car and went driving.

First leg, I drove from Appleton, WI to the Beloit, WI/South Beloit, IL area.

Observations:
-Why did WisDOT change the controls for WI 26 between US(I)-41 and US 151 from 'Oshkosh' and 'Waupun' to 'Rosendale' - the last place in the state where most of those who live here in eastern Wisconsin ever want to go???  IMHO, that will just get more people lost.

(snip)

-Four lane upgrades to WI 26 between Fort Atkinson and County 'N', just north of Milton, is also well under way with two-way traffic now using the new southbound concrete over that entire section.  Several overcrossing bridges are under construction, but for now it will not be a fully interstate-compatible freeway, as there will be several 'RIRO' intersections with side and overcrossing connector roads.  This looks to be on-track for completion this fall, if not sooner.

My guess is that they are using "Rosendale" because they want traffic to use US-151/US-41 from Waupun to Oshkosh instead of WI-26. 

With regards to WI-26 south of Fort Atkinson, the current traffic is using the eventual northbound lanes until just north of the Rock County line where it switches over to the southbound.

[on_wisconsin]

-Not a lot of six-lane upgrade work is apparent on I-39/90 south of WI 26 (yet), except that that new interchange with WI 11 on Janesville's east side looks *NICE*.  That prior cloverleaf was nasty, indeed!

I was surprised, as well, that there wasn't much construction on that stretch of Interstate as well going through there on my recent trip to DC. Of course, I also get the feeling the state has been way over dramatizing how bad things will be when the ball really gets rolling later on. (Cough:"must upgrade US 14 and WIS 26 RIGHT NOW!" bullocks coming out of the SW office) IMHO



Back to the Elk Mound interchange, I went back over the original WisDOT drawing and covered up the old configuration in an quick attempt to make it easer to read:

[mgk920]

With regards to WI-26 south of Fort Atkinson, the current traffic is using the eventual northbound lanes until just north of the Rock County line where it switches over to the southbound.

I think you're right, I was going by memory and yes, I do recall seeing a lot of cut digging going on where the southbound side will go, including into that abandoned railroad grade.

I do note that even though it will not be fully interstate compatible through there, such upgrades should not be all that difficult nor expensive to do for when that time comes.  The 'old' highway on the west side of the abandoned railroad there is a natural local access roadway for that area and some of those accesses that are being built into WI 26, IMHO, are not really needed and should have been omitted from the start.

Mike

[SEWIGuy]

The only issue with cutting off that access, is that because of Lake Koshkonong to the west, you would only have one easy way to enter that neighborhood, and that would require exiting at the south "Business WI-26" exit, and winding your way down from there.

You are correct though that the "jughandle" exits they are building would be easy to eliminate if they have to.  What they may have to do is provide some sort of easier access off the County Highway N exit to the south.

[Fox 11 News]

I don't think this fits into the 41 conversion, so I will post here

Groundbreaking was yesterday for work on 441 "tri county" freeway. It includes fixing the 41/441/10 interchange, and a new bridge over Little Lake Butte des Morts:
http://fox11online.com/2014/06/25/highway-441-project-underway-in-fox-valley/

We also explained a Diverging Diamond interchange
http://fox11online.com/2014/06/25/hwy-441-expansion-plan-includes-diverging-diamond/

[mgk920]

I don't think this fits into the 41 conversion, so I will post here

Groundbreaking was yesterday for work on 441 "tri county" freeway. It includes fixing the 41/441/10 interchange, and a new bridge over Little Lake Butte des Morts:
http://fox11online.com/2014/06/25/highway-441-project-underway-in-fox-valley/

We also explained a Diverging Diamond interchange
http://fox11online.com/2014/06/25/hwy-441-expansion-plan-includes-diverging-diamond/

I didn't realize that they were that far along with the planning on this - I wasn't expecting actual construction to start for another couple of years.

There IS some work going on in the northeast quadrant of the US(I)-41/US 10/WI 441 (Bridgeview) interchange, it appears to me to be underground utility relocation work.



I'll start a new thread for this truly BIG shovel project.

Mike

[mgk920]

Also, is WisDOT planning to seek 'promotion' of WI 441 to a full interstate (presumably as 'I-441') when this project is complete?

Mike

[GeekJedi]

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.

[mgk920]

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