US 41 Oconto bypass in Oconto County opening Wednesday, Oct. 7

October 1, 2009

New bridge, roundabouts will greet motorists

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) Northeast Region in Green Bay is announcing the US 41 Oconto bypass will open on Wednesday, Oct. 7. The new stretch of road begins at Frog Pond Road and extends for approximately five miles to just north of County S. Cost for this project is estimated at $40 million. The opening of this bypass means US 41 traffic will no longer be routed through the city of Oconto.

According to WisDOT NE Region Director Mike Berg, “We believe this long awaited expansion of US 41 will be a terrific benefit to Oconto County and Northeast Wisconsin. It will certainly improve safety for motorists who drive this route.”

This is part of a multi-year project expanding US 41 to 4 lanes through Oconto and Marinette counties. It includes bypasses of both Oconto and Peshtigo.

Some of the new bypass features include a bridge crossing the Oconto River with architectural enhancements consistent with the Oconto area that make it more visually appealing; two roundabouts at WIS 22; a pedestrian bridge also crossing the Oconto River; and a pedestrian underpass connecting to Copper Culture State Park.

A number of trees are also being planted as part of the entire project.  Called “wetland mitigation,” WisDOT is replacing wetlands that were incorporated into the project.  WisDOT plans to eventually plant 112,000 trees along the route, many of them adjacent to this new roadway.

WIS 22 will be open from US 41 to the west. The piece of WIS 22 from US 41 into Oconto will become Charles Street and cease to be a state highway. That road currently remains closed for construction. The detour route into Oconto from US 41 is Charles Street to Van Hecke to Evergreen Avenue to Cook Avenue and back to Charles Street.

Traffic will be reduced to one lane briefly at the north end of the bypass. This work and the work on Charles Street should be completed by early November.

The entire project is tentatively scheduled for completion Friday, Nov. 27.

Please note: A ribbon cutting has been scheduled marking the completion of the US 41 expansion project in Oconto County. It will be held Saturday, Oct. 17 at the intersection of US 41 and WIS 22, beginning at 2 p.m. The event is being hosted by the city of Oconto and the Oconto Area Chamber of Commerce.

For more information, contact:
Kim Rudat, Regional Communications Manager
(920) 492-5743, Kim.Rudat@dot.wi.gov