DOT To Share Highway 38 Plans With Village Board
The DOT studied different alternative routes for Highway 38, which could include buying up massive amounts of farmland. The DOT has several ideas, now they are ready to present those alternatives to the Village Board.
UPDATE: The DOT will share information about their expansion plan alternatives at 6 p.m. Tuesday at East Side Community Center, 6156 Douglas Ave.
Original Story: Crash rates of between 1.3 and 2.6 times the average at several intersections in Racine County have the Department of Transportation ready to make changes.
Residents had the opportunity to review the DOT’s proposed routes for Highway 38 from Oakwood Road to Highway K last week at a public open house.
The intersections at Highway 38 and 4 Mile Road, 5 Mile Road, and County H/6 Mile Road have been identified as having crash rates higher than 1.5 times the state average, according the DOT’s Wisconsin Corridor Re-Evaluation document.
- County K to 6 Mile Road has a crash rate of 2.6 times the statewide average,
- Along 6 Mile Road to Oakwood Road the crash rate is 1.3 times the statewide average.
“Typically, when an intersection crash rate approaches a value of 1 there is a concern, and when they exceed a value of 1.5, improvements should be pursued,” according to the document.
The old proposals from a 2007 study were included with the 2012 evaluation. New alternatives include fixing the curve near Highway 38, Highway H and Highway G by somewhat straightening out the curve, extending Highway H and cutting over to Highway 38 via Five Mile or Four Mile Road.
The proposed routes were met with mixed feelings.
Eric Woelbing, who owns a small private airport just south of Five Mile and Nicholson Road, said he objects to one of the proposed roadways, which would come down Highway H, over to Four Mile Road.
“It would take an awful lot of acreage and I don’t want a four-lane road through those pastures,” he said. “I rent part of that land to Jo-Don Farms and that’s her livelihood.”
Nick Vilbaum, who lives two houses south of Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park on Highway 38, said he has mixed feelings about the possible road expansion. While trying to pull into his driveway a car struck the car he was driving.
“People drive 70 mph by our house all of the time,” Vilbaum said. “I want the roads to be safe, but I’m not sure turning it into four lanes will do it.”
Comments about the project can be submitted in writing to the DOT until July 12. Click here for contact information.
While several meetings about the project are expected, no firm dates have been set. Here’s the anticipated schedule:
- July/Aug. 2012 - Project Advisory Committee meeting anticipated
- Aug./Sept. 2012 - Project Information Meeting anticipated
- Sept./Oct. 2012 - PAC meeting anticipated
- Oct./Nov. 2012 - PIM anticipated
DOT officials expect the study to be completed by the end of 2012.
Sandy
3:08 pm on Wednesday, July 4, 2012
I think there is a misprint...should be 5 mile and hwy h that is proposed, not 4 mile. 4 mile has not been in any of the proposed scenarios that I have kept up with. Hasn't anyone thought of just installing traffic lights on 38/H and 38/4 mile?
Karen Itzenhuiser
10:09 pm on Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Wouldn't it make more sense to install proper 'stop signs' that blink on and off? The signs, which have LED (light-emitting diode) units embedded in each corner flashing simultaneously, are capable of drawing motorists’ attention three or four blocks away.
An independent study by a Texas transportation group showed that the blinking signs — manufactured by Wisconsin-based TAPCO — reduced incidents of vehicles running through stop signs by 52 percent.
Not only will we save lives and our beautiful countryside from being covered up in cement, but we'll also keep a Wisconsin business operating in our fair state (something this state needs desparately). Sounds like a win-win solution to me.
dsaff
11:38 pm on Wednesday, July 4, 2012
I think we just drive responsibly. Keep the cell phones where they belong,out of cars and off the ear. Cell phones have a place and time, it`s called Emergency.Both hands on the wheel.
Mike Itzenhuiser
4:13 pm on Monday, December 3, 2012
I couldn't agree more scot. This reminds me of somthing Albert Einstein once said..... "I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots." The worst part is, we're in the next generation and they drive, live and walk amongst us and they're still breeding!
Jeff Warg
9:59 pm on Saturday, July 7, 2012
Bring 794 down to Hwy K via the railroad corridor. Its the best alternative, yet the DOT didn't even have it as one of the choices. Hwy 38 could run on it from 6 Mile heading south to K. It would address the high crash rates by seperating traffic better and give us much needed access to downtown Milwaukee.
Jeff Warg
7:42 pm on Monday, December 3, 2012
DOT has listened to people's input. They added the railroad corridor option starting at Hwy K on the east side of the rr tracks, like I mentioned above- it's the same side that 794 runs on. They included the option of curving the road just before 6 mile and also after, that way Husher could be bypassed. This is the best alternative since you could link to the south end of 794 at Ryan Road in the future. Railroad right of way land would cost the cheapest and solve the problems of the dangerous 4 and 5 mile intersections by even having the road go via overpass by both of those streets. Travel times to Milwaukee would improve greatly.