Wisconsin notes

[SEWIGuy]

Dude you need to learn how to embed your links.

[The Ghostbuster]

How does one embed their links? I have no idea how to do that.

[Molandfreak]

How does one embed their links? I have no idea how to do that.

[peterj920]

Drove on US 12 north around Baraboo and had to exit on Reedsburg Rd along with all other traffic due to road buckling.

I know road buckling is common in high heat but on the Baraboo Bypass, the buckling is way more common than other roads with the issue happening every summer. Going both directions there were at least 5 new spots where there was buckling with the bump signs.

 I wonder why that stretch is more prone to buckling compared to other roads? Did the contractor fail to adequately put expansion joints in the concrete?

I should also add that there was a buckled section on US 12 near County C where the curves were recently flattened by the old Army Ammo Plant.

[JREwing78]

It seems more common in Wisconsin than elsewhere. I wonder if they need wider expansion joints.

[US 12 fan]

Apparently Waukesha Country reps are trying to get a deal made to expand I-94 to six lanes from Pewaukee to the Jefferson County line.

https://www.gmtoday.com/the_freeman/news/buckle-up-for-possible-expansion-of-i-94-to-six-lanes/article_eafdf8c6-3897-5de3-9c69-3543b2f297b5.html

[The Ghostbuster]

Just from Pewaukee to the Jefferson County line? I think Interstate 94 should be six lanes from CTH N (Exit 244) to CTH SS (Exit 290). In other words, all of Interstate 94 that is currently four lanes should be expanded to six lanes.

[US 12 fan]

I definitely agree with that. But if it's true, it's a start.

[US 12 fan]

If you drive across the Sauk City bridge, you will notice in the distance they are working on the recreational bridge. It is supposed to be finished next year. The article is almost a couple months old but it goes into more details:

https://www.wmtv15news.com/2025/05/10/recreational-bridge-over-wisconsin-river-will-unify-sauk-dane-county/

I remember when I was a kid walking on the railroad bridge.

[SEWIGuy]

Just from Pewaukee to the Jefferson County line? I think Interstate 94 should be six lanes from CTH N (Exit 244) to CTH SS (Exit 290). In other words, all of Interstate 94 that is currently four lanes should be expanded to six lanes.

While I agree, I think traffic does thin out after the Oconomowoc (WI-67) exit - the last one in Waukesha County.

[mgk920]

EVENTUALLY six-laning I-94 between Madison and Milwaukee will be done. Just like EVENTUALLY six-laning I-41 between WI 26 in Oshkosh and the Richfield interchange (US 45 West Bend Spur split) will be done.  I'm just not laying awake at nights in eager anticipation of those upgrades.

Mike

[The Ghostbuster]

There is currently a construction project on Interstate 94 between CTH N and Airport Road: https://projects.511wi.gov/i94/. "This project will prolong the life of the I-94 pavement and structures until a future reconstruction and capacity expansion project can be implemented": https://projects.511wi.gov/i94/full-project-overview/.

[peterj920]

I saw another Keep ↗️ Right sign at US 12 and Ski Hi Rd. I guess WISDOT is going to use those signs at intersections where they think there's a lot of accidents at intersections on expressways.

[peterj920]

$30 million in the state budget going towards a railroad bridge for the new South Bridge Corridor in De Pere.  I'm happy to see an extra $200 million going towards transportation. I'm guessing it's coming from some of the surplus?

https://www.wbay.com/2025/07/01/de-pere-railroad-bridge-included-state-budget/?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=organicclicks&tbref=hp

[dvferyance]

I am not a big fan of roundabouts but I got to admit I do like the new one the put in by the Kalahari. Very creative giving it a Kalahari theme in the middle.

[mgk920]

I am not a big fan of roundabouts but I got to admit I do like the new one the put in by the Kalahari. Very creative giving it a Kalahari theme in the middle.

< smile >

Where they have been installed here in the Fox Valley, they have been the ideal solutions for their locations.  Also the two roundabouts on Bluemound Dr (Outagamie County 'AA") at the Fox Valley Technical college entrances, including their über-popular OTR truck driving school.

Mike

[peterj920]

It's pretty safe to say that I-794 is going to be rebuilt. The FHWA is now taking the position that removing lanes and road diets are bad projects. I doubt they'd approve removing I-794.

The 6th Street project was just scrapped by the feds which I don't mind because the project would have made that road worse by squeezing traffic into a single lane.

[SEWIGuy]

It's pretty safe to say that I-794 is going to be rebuilt. The FHWA is now taking the position that removing lanes and road diets are bad projects. I doubt they'd approve removing I-794.

The 6th Street project was just scrapped by the feds which I don't mind because the project would have made that road worse by squeezing traffic into a single lane.

All evidence to the contrary I guess.

It should be removed.

[mgk920]

It's pretty safe to say that I-794 is going to be rebuilt. The FHWA is now taking the position that removing lanes and road diets are bad projects. I doubt they'd approve removing I-794.

The 6th Street project was just scrapped by the feds which I don't mind because the project would have made that road worse by squeezing traffic into a single lane.

I can see redoing the (Lake) interchange at Lincoln Memorial Drive and reducing reducing I-794 to four lanes with right exits (acknowledging that the Park East will very likely not be built within the economic lifetime of this work), but I agree, the elevated east-west part of I-794 will still be there.

Mike

[The Ghostbuster]

Hopefully, at the next PIM, they will present the preferred alternative for the Interstate 794 east-west corridor. As I've stated before, my preference is the Freeway Improvement Alternative with Right-Hand Ramps at Jackson/Van Buren: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1c4F7xjqhGVZJ6v3v1yqpO5bBEbx6JsnJ/view.

[peterj920]

It's pretty safe to say that I-794 is going to be rebuilt. The FHWA is now taking the position that removing lanes and road diets are bad projects. I doubt they'd approve removing I-794.

The 6th Street project was just scrapped by the feds which I don't mind because the project would have made that road worse by squeezing traffic into a single lane.

All evidence to the contrary I guess.

It should be removed.

Removal makes no sense. It would waste the Hoan Bridge and clog traffic Downtown. It would also be safer for pedestrians/bikes because they wouldn't have to cross a busy street at grade. I-794 makes it easy to connect with the east side of Downtown and The Lakefront. Ease of access is part of why that area is thriving. Getting rid of I-794 would ruin that.

[SEWIGuy]

It's pretty safe to say that I-794 is going to be rebuilt. The FHWA is now taking the position that removing lanes and road diets are bad projects. I doubt they'd approve removing I-794.

The 6th Street project was just scrapped by the feds which I don't mind because the project would have made that road worse by squeezing traffic into a single lane.

All evidence to the contrary I guess.

It should be removed.

Removal makes no sense. It would waste the Hoan Bridge and clog traffic Downtown. It would also be safer for pedestrians/bikes because they wouldn't have to cross a busy street at grade. I-794 makes it easy to connect with the east side of Downtown and The Lakefront. Ease of access is part of why that area is thriving. Getting rid of I-794 would ruin that.

Hold on. You think the east side of downtown and the lakefront is thriving BECAUSE of a freeway that's just over a mile long? And that somehow a boulevard of some sort would stunt that? That's silly. No one is would avoid downtown because of the freeway removal.

This is the same nonsense that was said when they removed the Lake Park Freeway 20 years ago. "No one is going to go downtown anymore from the north side if you remove that freeway." That turned out to be a terrible prediction. People use McKinley to get downtown all the time now. And you know why? People like cities that are easily walkable and accessible. They will put up with slower speeds and few lights if it ends up like that. And guess what? They built the new arena right there and the area is booming. This is a great example of how a "road diet" worked.

Removal of the freeway would more easily connect the thriving Third Ward neighborhood WITH downtown and the Lakefront. It would further open more space for continued development. And it would not prevent people from going downtown and accessing the lake.

[peterj920]

It's pretty safe to say that I-794 is going to be rebuilt. The FHWA is now taking the position that removing lanes and road diets are bad projects. I doubt they'd approve removing I-794.

The 6th Street project was just scrapped by the feds which I don't mind because the project would have made that road worse by squeezing traffic into a single lane.

All evidence to the contrary I guess.

It should be removed.

Removal makes no sense. It would waste the Hoan Bridge and clog traffic Downtown. It would also be safer for pedestrians/bikes because they wouldn't have to cross a busy street at grade. I-794 makes it easy to connect with the east side of Downtown and The Lakefront. Ease of access is part of why that area is thriving. Getting rid of I-794 would ruin that.

Hold on. You think the east side of downtown and the lakefront is thriving BECAUSE of a freeway that's just over a mile long? And that somehow a boulevard of some sort would stunt that? That's silly. No one is would avoid downtown because of the freeway removal.

This is the same nonsense that was said when they removed the Lake Park Freeway 20 years ago. "No one is going to go downtown anymore from the north side if you remove that freeway." That turned out to be a terrible prediction. People use McKinley to get downtown all the time now. And you know why? People like cities that are easily walkable and accessible. They will put up with slower speeds and few lights if it ends up like that. And guess what? They built the new arena right there and the area is booming. This is a great example of how a "road diet" worked.

Removal of the freeway would more easily connect the thriving Third Ward neighborhood WITH downtown and the Lakefront. It would further open more space for continued development. And it would not prevent people from going downtown and accessing the lake.

The Park East was a spur that was a dead end. I-794 is a thru route that's a big difference. 794 has been a huge benefit to The Lakefront, Bayview, and the South Shore communities. It makes no sense to ruin a convenient and easy highway between Downtown and those communities.

[hobsini2]

We are talking about a mile or so of freeway. I personally like being able to use 794 as an alternate to 43/94. But the need for 794 as an interstate freeway really is not very pressing. If 794 was to be done as a parkway with 45 zone, it would still function just fine and still allow better access for pedestrians and cyclists to the 3rd Ward.

[SSOWorld]

It's pretty safe to say that I-794 is going to be rebuilt. The FHWA is now taking the position that removing lanes and road diets are bad projects. I doubt they'd approve removing I-794.

The 6th Street project was just scrapped by the feds which I don't mind because the project would have made that road worse by squeezing traffic into a single lane.

[citation needed]