North Parkway/Beltline in Madison?

[mahaasma]

A few years ago, I saw some buzz about a possible north beltline highway in Madison, WI.  The current beltline (US12) is so crowded and I know they're currently working to study/upgrade it.  The last I heard, there was more support for making the north beltline a parkway, to reduce the cost and environmental impact.

I haven't seen anything recent about this.  Has anyone heard anything more?  Is this a dead project?

[SSOWorld]

I think it's dead in the water, the only info I found was from a fansite.

[DrZoidberg]

What was the proposed routing of this?  I went to college in Madison and don't seem to recall anything about it.

Was it perhaps along WI-19?

[DrZoidberg]

Interesting ideas.  If they constructed this to Interstate standards, along with upgrades to the existing beltway, we could someday have a 3-di in Madison.  Should we give some love to I-39 and dub the Madison beltway I-239? 

[SSOWorld]

Interesting ideas.  If they constructed this to Interstate standards, along with upgrades to the existing beltway, we could someday have a 3-di in Madison.  Should we give some love to I-39 and dub the Madison beltway I-239? 

sounds like a nice fictional highway - if it ever came to fruition.   but the current beltline is not completely interstate standard - nor is it planned to make it so.  US 18 and US 151 branch off at Verona Rd and the traffic volume for that interchange is too large particularly at rush-hour.  Studies are being conducted to build a freeway in the Verona Road ROW with flyovers from east of the interchange with the Beltline.  US 14 south is a freeway for a short distance (to Oregon - no not the state  ) - and is connected to the beltline by a partial cloverleaf - but WisDOT is going to change that to a ... *gasp* DIAMOND!!!  In reality, there isn't enough room for a full cloverleaf though. Some overpasses also are below interstate height minimums - especially Seminole Highway's overpass.

[Truvelo]

I came back this way on my visit to Iowa last week. I used it around midday and the traffic was flowing fine although it's probably much slower at peak hours. The middle part is best with a quadplex of US shields.

Looking on Google Earth it does appear to have been extended a mile or two north of University Ave with US-12 north of there being recently divided. It's a pity there's so many traffic lights and I caught most of them on red.

[tchafe1978]

I'm not sure where you caught any red lights along the Beltline, it is a freeway after all. And yes, the freeway was extended north to bypass downtown Middleton a couple years ago, to go along with expanding US 12 to a 4-lane expressway from Middleton to Prairie du Sac.

[Truvelo]

I'm not sure where you caught any red lights along the Beltline, it is a freeway after all.

I should have said that I meant the section north of Middleton. As US-14 is currently closed east of Mazomanie I joined US-12 at WIS-19. Between there and Middleton it's completely at-grade which is a pity although I can see the reasoning if grade separation adds too much to the cost.

[wandering drive]

There's enough cross traffic from the two WI-19 intersections and CR-K that hopefully they'll be upgraded soon.  I've passed by lines of cars waiting to get on 12 from WB WI-19 (i.e., what passes for a north beltline). 

[WISFreeways]

Guys I looked it up and found that many farmers dont like it  they're probably going to win 

[mgk920]

Guys I looked it up and found that many farmers dont like it  they're probably going to win 

Which means that WI 19 will likely evolve over time just like the South Beltline did.  Demands of traffic and increasing delays will mean a small improvement here, a new grade separation and interchange there and eventually, and before anyone realizes it, it will morph into a full freeway.

For example, there was considerable wailing and gnashing of teeth in the years before the swamp (Yahara Marsh) bridge was built back in the late 1980s, with much study involving upgrading the then existing highway (now Broadway in Monona - imagine THAT becoming the six-lane freeway instead!).  Ultimately, and thankfully, cooler heads prevailed.

Mike

[WISFreeways]

Then there would be a bypass around Waunakee, an 8-laning around the concurrency with WI 113, and a Sun Prairie bypass as well   

[WISFreeways]

Which, in turn, combined with the eventual US-12 freeway conversion to WI-19, would finally make a full beltway around Madison. The city would grow to as much as 320,000 in 30-40 years if that happens 

[Truvelo]

And then the vast majority of those 320,000 will be driving cars and we'll be back to square one with regards to traffic congestion

[WISFreeways]

Oh yeah I forgot about traffic congestion, but it would make some really nice development for a city around 230,000 people.

[tchafe1978]

There was just an editorial in the Wisconsin State Journal this past week about the North Mendota Parkway, so the idea isn't totally dead yet. But instead of calling for a freeway, the writer was only suggesting a 4-lane 45mph parkway, in part to appease farmers and landowners in the area.

[Sykotyk]

US 14 south is a freeway for a short distance (to Oregon - no not the state  ) - and is connected to the beltline by a partial cloverleaf - but WisDOT is going to change that to a ... *gasp* DIAMOND!!! 

So freaking stupid. Why do these agencies keep trying to remove freeway-to-freeway interchanges just because they don't have interstate shields on both of them?

I've driven the beltway twice, and drove the US-14 spur south once (and US-151 southwest to Dubuque). Nice road. Sucks it just ENDS for no reason  at a cross road.

Noticed that with several Wisconsin areas. US-12 east of Darien off I-43 is another one. Would make a great alternate if it were ever tied into an I-290 extension or so.

Sykotyk

(fixed quote tag. --br)

[WISFreeways]

There was just an editorial in the Wisconsin State Journal this past week about the North Mendota Parkway, so the idea isn't totally dead yet. But instead of calling for a freeway, the writer was only suggesting a 4-lane 45mph parkway, in part to appease farmers and landowners in the area.

Yeah they might as well build the eastern part. At least the farmers at Oncken Road are happy now 

[leifvanderwall]

I don't live in Wisconsin but how about converting US 151 into an interstate from Dubuque to Fond du Lac. It would probably be the next best thing. It's too bad the WDOT can not buy the farmers' land- I think the beltline loop would be a perfect destination for a 3 di interstate.

[SSOWorld]

I don't live in Wisconsin but how about converting US 151 into an interstate from Dubuque to Fond du Lac. It would probably be the next best thing. It's too bad the WDOT can not buy the farmers' land- I think the beltline loop would be a perfect destination for a 3 di interstate.

Not even close to the traffic count that justifies such an interstate.  Imagine the money involved in converting the road into a full freeway.

[WISFreeways]

AADT: only 111,000 at most.  The beltline gets another lane at Midvale Blvd (just like I-494 through the Bloomington Strip) and  another auxillary lane at Seminole Hwy. But I think they should make the all of the beltline six lanes in the meantime.

[SSOWorld]

AADT: only 111,000 at most.  The beltline gets another lane at Midvale Blvd (just like I-494 through the Bloomington Strip) and  another auxillary lane at Seminole Hwy. But I think they should make the all of the beltline six lanes in the meantime.

Most of the heavy traffic on the beltline is on the south side.  As for 151 to Dubuque, the amount of traffic on it decreases dramatically as you head southwest. 

[tchafe1978]

This article from today's Wisconsin State Journal highlights the coming improvements to the Fish Hatchery Rd. and Park St./US 14 interchanges and the reasons for them. The Fish hatchery Rd interchange really can be difficult and dangerous, especially at rush hour, with all the weaving. Not a lot of room to manuever. The loop ramps at both interchanges are all also rather tight, with 30-40 mph limits on them. I can't wait for the improvments to the Verona Rd. interchange (where US 18 and 151 branch off towards Dodgeville), that is always backed up, no matter the time of day.

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt_and_politics/article_097e5d76-cdc6-557e-ad8e-b20cf511febc.html

[mgk920]

This article from today's Wisconsin State Journal highlights the coming improvements to the Fish Hatchery Rd. and Park St./US 14 interchanges and the reasons for them. The Fish hatchery Rd interchange really can be difficult and dangerous, especially at rush hour, with all the weaving. Not a lot of room to manuever. The loop ramps at both interchanges are all also rather tight, with 30-40 mph limits on them. I can't wait for the improvments to the Verona Rd. interchange (where US 18 and 151 branch off towards Dodgeville), that is always backed up, no matter the time of day.

http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt_and_politics/article_097e5d76-cdc6-557e-ad8e-b20cf511febc.html

What happened to the free-flow ramps and related real upgrades that were being planned at Verona Rd????  That SPUI will be obsolete before the concrete gets done setting.





Mike

[tchafe1978]

The free flow ramps were only one part of the study being done to improve the interchang, along with the SPUI.  The DOT site doesn't make an announcement as to which alternative was chosen, but the newspaper article certainly makes it appear that the SPUI has been chosen, most likely due to lower cost a impact to the surrounding neighborhood.

http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/projects/d1/verona/index.htm