Wisconsin notes

[peterj920]

Interesting observation driving on Wis 26 south between Watertown and Janesville.

Janesville is by far the largest city and should be the control city. However, Jefferson, Fort Atkinson, and Milton have way more signage than Janesville does. I wonder why that is?

[mgk920]

Interesting observation driving on Wis 26 south between Watertown and Janesville.

Janesville is by far the largest city and should be the control city. However, Jefferson, Fort Atkinson, and Milton have way more signage than Janesville does. I wonder why that is?

Likely due to most southbound overhead traffic on that part of WI 26 is going to I-39/90 and not central Janesville (even though the interchange itself is in the city of Janesville).

Mike

[SEWIGuy]

Interesting observation driving on Wis 26 south between Watertown and Janesville.

Janesville is by far the largest city and should be the control city. However, Jefferson, Fort Atkinson, and Milton have way more signage than Janesville does. I wonder why that is?

Likely due to most southbound overhead traffic on that part of WI 26 is going to I-39/90 and not central Janesville (even though the interchange itself is in the city of Janesville).

I don't think most of the traffic IS going to I-39/90. In my experience, having lived in that area, WI-26 is used mostly for locals heading in either direction and not as a through route. I could very well be wrong, but that could be why the mileage signs are how they are.

[JREwing78]

Janesville is by far the largest city and should be the control city. However, Jefferson, Fort Atkinson, and Milton have way more signage than Janesville does. I wonder why that is?

I suspect it's partially an oversight, and partially the heritage of how the route was built out. It was previously a surface 2-lane for a long time. Then for a long time they just had the Fort Atkinson 2-lane bypass, the 4-lane between Janesville and Milton, and the 4-laned section through Johnson Creek. 

Also, at least in the minds of most, heading west from Milwaukee on I-94 to go south on Hwy 26 wasn't the best path to Janesville - they would recommend I-43 to US-14. 

There's also a dearth of destination signs along the route in general. After several important interchanges where you would expect a list of destinations, there either isn't one or it's just shows the next town. 

There's several locations that only show the next town ahead that could easily add an indication for the distance to Janesville. Also, I would agree that any of the locations they have posted as going to Milton could be replaced with Janesville. 

[Big John]

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.

There is a is a new one in Green Bay on the parclo ramp from Nicolet/University Ave to WI 54/57.

[hobsini2]

It appears for mileage signs on 2 lane roads WISDOT is going to list the closest incorporated community and a "control city" that will be listed until reaching that city. The only time 3 places will be listed is if there's a concurrency.

The freeways/expressways are signed extremely well but I don't like the changes to the 2 lane roads. The previous signs were more informative. I don't understand why WISDOT doesn't want to list 3 cities anymore on 2 lane roads.

Each community listed should contain at least one gas station and at least one restaurant. Is that true of all cities and villages? I think any third control city should have a hotel.

I agree that should be a minimum for having a place on the mileage sign for 2 lane roads. It's not so bad in Southern and Central Wisconsin but you get into the Northwoods and there are towns over 20 miles apart that may not even have services.

[mgk920]

Plans are in the works for a 'Big Shovel' rebuild of College Ave (WI 125) between I-41 and downtown Appleton.  I just became aware of this (a *POX!* on Gannett here  ).  This covers all of WI 125 and the timeline is uncertain (I have not yet read that deeply into this report).

www.anewavenue.com

Enjoy!   

Mike

[peterj920]

WIS 29 is going to be relocated on a new alignment from US 141/County R to the County EA roundabout with a new railroad crossing. The existing railroad crossing will be removed and Manitowoc Rd would curve into the west leg of the current Wis 29/EA roundabout. The new alignment would provide a better direct connection between I-43 and Wis 29 VIA US 141.

https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/projects/by-region/ne/29realign/default.aspx

[SEWIGuy]

WIS 29 is going to be relocated on a new alignment from US 141/County R to the County EA roundabout with a new railroad crossing. The existing railroad crossing will be removed and Manitowoc Rd would curve into the west leg of the current Wis 29/EA roundabout. The new alignment would provide a better direct connection between I-43 and Wis 29 VIA US 141.

https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/projects/by-region/ne/29realign/default.aspx

WI-29 should end at US-41 on the west side of Green Bay, and the section from I-43 to Kewaunee should be a different number entirely.

[peterj920]

WIS 29 is going to be relocated on a new alignment from US 141/County R to the County EA roundabout with a new railroad crossing. The existing railroad crossing will be removed and Manitowoc Rd would curve into the west leg of the current Wis 29/EA roundabout. The new alignment would provide a better direct connection between I-43 and Wis 29 VIA US 141.

https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/projects/by-region/ne/29realign/default.aspx

WI-29 should end at US-41 on the west side of Green Bay, and the section from I-43 to Kewaunee should be a different number entirely.

There's nothing wrong with Wis 29 going to Kewaunee which is a county seat. The bridges in Green Bay are going to carry state highway designations since the drawbridges are expensive to maintain and the City of Green Bay isn't going to want the bill.

In Manitowoc when the roads were renumbered after switching 8th and 10th streets to 2 way, one bridge was designated as US 10 with the other as Wis 42 just for the state to maintain the bridges.

[Big John]

^^ The US 141 Main Street Bridge in Green Bay is city owned and maintained. The WI 54 Mason St Bridge reconstruction project is under consideration for transfer to the city from the state.

[dvferyance]

The most I see ever happening at the signaled STH 23/STH 26 intersection is constructing a roundabout. How likely is it that might eventually happen?

I foresee it getting downgraded to a county highway the minute WisDOT needs new mileage somewhere.

Wis 26 has 9,000 VPD. With a count that high there's no way it gets downgraded.

Also, being downgraded to a lettered county highway is no guarantee that traffic will be reduced.  Just look a bit farther south in adjacent Dodge County, County 'A' is a major highway in that corridor.

Mike

Exactly if that is the route they are going to take they will take it. Who cares what government agency maintains the road?

[SEWIGuy]

WIS 29 is going to be relocated on a new alignment from US 141/County R to the County EA roundabout with a new railroad crossing. The existing railroad crossing will be removed and Manitowoc Rd would curve into the west leg of the current Wis 29/EA roundabout. The new alignment would provide a better direct connection between I-43 and Wis 29 VIA US 141.

https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/projects/by-region/ne/29realign/default.aspx

WI-29 should end at US-41 on the west side of Green Bay, and the section from I-43 to Kewaunee should be a different number entirely.

There's nothing wrong with Wis 29 going to Kewaunee which is a county seat. The bridges in Green Bay are going to carry state highway designations since the drawbridges are expensive to maintain and the City of Green Bay isn't going to want the bill.

In Manitowoc when the roads were renumbered after switching 8th and 10th streets to 2 way, one bridge was designated as US 10 with the other as Wis 42 just for the state to maintain the bridges.

Yeah, I forgot about the bridge thing. Good point.

Regardless, I wasn't suggesting removing the state highway designation.

[The Ghostbuster]

I would choose Alternative 2, as adding roundabouts to intersections has been the norm state-wide for the last couple of decades. The project does provide a new connection between Wall St. and Cottage Rd., while cul-du-sacing  Kewaunee Rd. between Wall St. and Manitowoc Rd., although the new connection could have alternatively become an extension of CTH EA. As I am unfamiliar with the area, are there a lot of crashes in that area of STH 29 between US 141/CTH R intersection and the CTH EA roundabout?

[mgk920]

WIS 29 is going to be relocated on a new alignment from US 141/County R to the County EA roundabout with a new railroad crossing. The existing railroad crossing will be removed and Manitowoc Rd would curve into the west leg of the current Wis 29/EA roundabout. The new alignment would provide a better direct connection between I-43 and Wis 29 VIA US 141.

https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/projects/by-region/ne/29realign/default.aspx

WI-29 should end at US-41 on the west side of Green Bay, and the section from I-43 to Kewaunee should be a different number entirely.

Ditto the part west of I-94 (Elk Mound interchange), or keep that one for (when) the I-41 - I-94 part of WI 29 is somehow 'promoted'.

Mike

[mgk920]

^^ The US 141 Main Street Bridge in Green Bay is city owned and maintained. The WI 54 Mason St Bridge reconstruction project is under consideration for transfer to the city from the state.

South Oneida St in Appleton is also city owned and maintained, even though it has the 'feel' of a 'secret' state highway.  There are even city stickers on the WisDOT-style signal control boxes.

Mike

[Molandfreak]

WIS 29 is going to be relocated on a new alignment from US 141/County R to the County EA roundabout with a new railroad crossing. The existing railroad crossing will be removed and Manitowoc Rd would curve into the west leg of the current Wis 29/EA roundabout. The new alignment would provide a better direct connection between I-43 and Wis 29 VIA US 141.

https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/projects/by-region/ne/29realign/default.aspx

WI-29 should end at US-41 on the west side of Green Bay, and the section from I-43 to Kewaunee should be a different number entirely.

There's nothing wrong with Wis 29 going to Kewaunee which is a county seat. The bridges in Green Bay are going to carry state highway designations since the drawbridges are expensive to maintain and the City of Green Bay isn't going to want the bill.

In Manitowoc when the roads were renumbered after switching 8th and 10th streets to 2 way, one bridge was designated as US 10 with the other as Wis 42 just for the state to maintain the bridges.

And that is the best configuration I could imagine. Maybe you could stick a "To 10 east" sign northbound on STH-42 at Quay Street, but it makes sense for both as thru highways.

[peterj920]

Looking at future projects and there's no projects anywhere statewide that would expand any 2 lane roads to 4 lanes.

WISDOT was always great at 4 lane expansion where growth was anticipated. Wis 93 south of Eau Claire and US 10/Wis 114 east of Appleton are great examples. In the Madison Area, Wis 19 between Waunakee and Sun Prairie along with US 14 between Cross Plains and Middleton really need to be expanded to 4 lanes. Both stretches carry between 12,000-18,000 VPD so what's holding WISDOT back from expanding them?

Hwy 100 could also use a 4 lane expansion on the remaining 2 lane segment since that's another suburban corridor that has a lot of traffic.

Counties are more interested in roadway expansion with County S in Kenosha County, County M and PD in Dane County, the upcoming County T project in Chippewa County, and the new South Bridge project in Brown County all getting 4 lane upgrades. The counties are doing a way better job than WISDOT when it comes to expanding roads.

[peterj920]

I would choose Alternative 2, as adding roundabouts to intersections has been the norm state-wide for the last couple of decades. The project does provide a new connection between Wall St. and Cottage Rd., while cul-du-sacing  Kewaunee Rd. between Wall St. and Manitowoc Rd., although the new connection could have alternatively become an extension of CTH EA. As I am unfamiliar with the area, are there a lot of crashes in that area of STH 29 between US 141/CTH R intersection and the CTH EA roundabout?

There aren't a lot of crashes. Both intersections are all way stops. Brown County proposed extending County EA to provide a more direct connection with I-43. Since most traffic on Wis 29 comes from I-43, this will make traffic run smoother and provide one turn instead of 2 turns and a sharp curve.

[on_wisconsin]

WisDOT has launched a project page for the overdue future rebuild/expansion of the US 53 Bypass around Eau Claire:
https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/projects/by-region/nw/us53study/default.aspx (Volumes have grown ~25% in just the last 8 years alone. The corridor was also designed for eventual expansion may not require any large ROW acquisitions.)

The state also has a page for the long deferred, sorely needed CTH H-Chippewa River bridge re-decking in Caryville near WIS 85, scheduled for next year:
https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/projects/by-region/nw/countyh/default.aspx (The bridge has a noticeable unsettling wavyness near each pier as you drive over it, and still has 60s era parapets.)

The CTH T expansion in EC/Chippewa counties mentioned above, from US 12/WIS 312 to WIS 29, close to the new Country Jam festival grounds, is also set to start in '27: https://www.chippewacountywi.gov/292/CTH-T-Corridor-Expansion

The new US 10/WIS 25 roundabout project in the Town of Waubeek near Durand is starting later this year. Hopefully fixing a long time high speed accident black spot in the area: https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/projects/by-region/nw/us10wis25/default.aspx

[SEWIGuy]

Looking at future projects and there's no projects anywhere statewide that would expand any 2 lane roads to 4 lanes.

WISDOT was always great at 4 lane expansion where growth was anticipated. Wis 93 south of Eau Claire and US 10/Wis 114 east of Appleton are great examples. In the Madison Area, Wis 19 between Waunakee and Sun Prairie along with US 14 between Cross Plains and Middleton really need to be expanded to 4 lanes. Both stretches carry between 12,000-18,000 VPD so what's holding WISDOT back from expanding them?

Hwy 100 could also use a 4 lane expansion on the remaining 2 lane segment since that's another suburban corridor that has a lot of traffic.

Counties are more interested in roadway expansion with County S in Kenosha County, County M and PD in Dane County, the upcoming County T project in Chippewa County, and the new South Bridge project in Brown County all getting 4 lane upgrades. The counties are doing a way better job than WISDOT when it comes to expanding roads.

I know they are upgrading WI-19 between Waunakee and Sun Prairie in the near future. Not expanding though.

Only so much money to go around and there are some very large projects on the docket the next few years.

[Great Lakes Roads]

WisDOT highlighted three major projects in the spotlight during their annual DBE meeting.

I-94 East-West

I-41

Blatnik Bridge Replacement

[The Ghostbuster]

The one that interests me the most is the Interstate 94 East-West Project, since I've gone up and down the Interstate 94 corridor between Madison and Milwaukee a zillion times in my life. The Interstate 41 project is interesting, although it doesn't affect me as much. As for the Blatnik Bridge project, it's been a decade since I last crossed it to go to Two Harbors, MN on vacation with my mother and my late stepfather. However, I do like what they are doing with the southern end of the bridge, by reconfiguring the existing interchange into a full-diamond and making it so one does not have to exit to stay on US 53.

[mgk920]

Obviously the I-41 upgrades are most central to me, but all three are critically needed. I also very much like how WisDOT is handling the south end of the Blatnik Bridge.

Mike

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Unless I missed this somewhere in the plans I think it would have greatly helped promoting the Truck 2-53 alternate on Winter Street as a relief route to the Belknap Street section of US 2 if they were going to build a temporary off-ramp from eastbound 2 to Susquehanna/Winter. Instead, you still gotta backtrack through the roundabout over to the truck route.