US 12 project history

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US 12 project

History

US 12 history/project history

1918 - Wisconsin Highway Commission assigns numbers to major routes in the state.

1921 - Sauk City bridge constructed.

1922 - Madison to Sauk City. Major reconstruction and roadway relocation for new bridge. Right of way required from two property owners.

1924 - Middleton. Curb and gutter installation.

1925 - U.S. Bureau of Public Roads establishes US 12 as a United States Highway. Roadway is now eligible for federal funding.

1927 - Dunlop Hollow Road to County KP. First part of major US 12 relocation. Roadway is relocated onto "Old Sauk Trail" (present US 12). Right of way is acquired. A 20-foot-wide concrete surface is constructed with a 5-foot gravel shoulder.

1929 - Springfield Corners (WIS 19) to Middleton. Second phase of US 12 relocation. Roadway is relocated near where it lies today. Right of way is acquired. A 20-foot-wide concrete surface is constructed with a 5-foot gravel shoulder.

1951 - South Madison Beltline. The roadway in Middleton is relocated off of what is now Parmenter Street. Four lanes of concrete constructed from Donna Drive to US 14. Right of way is purchased in fee and easement.

1952 - Springfield Hill. Grading, base course and concrete surfacing for a truck climbing lane is completed. Lane consists of a 12-foot-wide, 9-inch-thick concrete pavement with gravel shoulders. Right of way is purchased.

1953 - Sauk City to Madison. Roadway widened with an asphalt overlay. Road is now 22 feet wide with 4-foot shoulders.

1966 - Sauk City. New bridge built which still exists today. Cost: $519,000.

Relocation of bridge approaches. Eastbound truck climbing lane constructed. Right of way is purchased. Cost: $298,000.

1967 - Sauk City to Middleton. Springfield Hills to Springfield Corners section. Grading, base course and a 1.5-inch asphalt overlay is applied. The highway is relocated at the WIS 19 intersection. Cost: $80,000.

1974 - Installation of traffic signals at County M (Century Avenue). Cost: $30,000.

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1975 - Implement access control under the authority of Wisconsin Stat. 84.25.

1981 - Widening of driving lanes from 11 to 12 feet and half of the 6-foot shoulder is paved. The County M (Century Avenue) intersection is channelized. Extension of four lanes to Graber Road. Creation of a fifth lane for left-turning traffic between Donna Drive and County M. Parmenter Street becomes a "T" intersection. Lengthening of culverts and removal of unneeded beam-guards. Installation of passing lanes at WIS 78, Fischer Road, and Schneider Road and right-turn lanes at County KP and Kickaboo Road. Installation of raised pavement markers between Graber and Schneider roads. Cost: $1.3 million.

1989 - Reconstruction of the US 14 interchange, providing improved traffic control and longer ramps. Cost: $500,000.

1990 - State legislature directs WisDOT to establish a committee of members of the public who reside in western Dane County or the Wisconsin River Valley that would represent varying viewpoints. The committee's function is to provide input in the process WisDOT would use to select a plan for improvement.

WisDOT Secretary Fiedler appoints 17-member US 12 Study Committee.

1991 - US 12 Study Committee provides recommendations to Wisconsin State Legislature. The recommendations were to provide a four-lane divided highway, a Middleton bypass and a second bridge crossing to Sauk City.

Over half of the public written responses obtained at the public informational meeting held in 1991 favored a four-lane improvement. Another 14 percent believed that some type of improvement was required but were concerned about the long-term effects of a four-lane highway. The remaining respondents opposed a four-lane improvement and favored no improvement at all or spot up-grades to the existing two-lane roadway.

1992 - Milling and repaving of the center two feet of pavement to provide a solid base for new pavement markings. Raised pavement marker installation at selected locations. Addition of traffic signals at Donna Drive in Middleton and at Madison Street in Sauk City. Larger traffic control signs are added to intersections. Implementation of Corridor Safety Program along US 12 in Sauk, Dane and Jefferson counties. The program includes added law enforcement and public information campaigns utilizing news releases and brochures. Cost: $472,000.

WisDOT begins the environmental review process.

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1993 - Addition of a separate right-turn lane adjacent to the climbing lane at WIS 78 intersection. A right-turn lane westbound and a right passing lane eastbound at the eastern intersection with WIS 19 is added (completed in conjunction with the WIS 19 project). Reconstruction of County M (Century Avenue/Airport Road) intersection to provide additional left-turn storage on US 12 and a right-turn lane on County M. Cost: $500,000.

Public responses obtained during public informational meetings held in 1993 were similar to the 1991 written responses. US 12 project is enumerated by the state legislature, this allows WisDOT to spend funds set aside for major highway projects.

1994 - Large, easy-to-read signs listing the names of intersecting side roads are installed. Construction of a park and ride lot at the intersection of US 12 and WIS 188. Corridor Safety Program along US 12 in Sauk and Dane counties with additional law enforcement is implemented. Cost: $200,000.

1995 - Reconstruction of high traffic volume intersections at WIS 188, County Y, County P, and Kickaboo Road. Corridor Safety Program along US 12 in Sauk and Dane counties with additional law enforcement is implemented. Cost: $200,000.

The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) was signed on April 19, 1995. Public hearings are held on the DEIS in Sauk City and Middleton.

1995-1996 - This period after the May 1995 public hearings was taken up with coordination between governmental agencies concerned with these main issues:

Direct comparison of environmental impacts of two lanes versus four.
Greater quantification of the effects to the Baraboo Range National Natural Landmark (BRNNL), also called "secondary impacts."
The effects at the project termini and the general environmental impacts of a possible four lane highway from Middleton to Lake Delton. This led to the preparation of a Supplemental Draft EIS.

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1996 - New traffic signals are installed at County K. Right turn lanes, left turn lanes, passing lanes and sight corners at Springfield and Lodi Road are rehabilitated. Corridor Safety Program along US 12 in Sauk and Dane counties is implemented. The program calls for additional law enforcement and public information campaigns (news releases, public service announcements, placemats for restaurants, posters and electronic message boards). Cost: $300,000.

Public hearings on Supplemental Draft EIS are held in Sauk City and Middleton.

1997 - Proposed construction of approximately nine safety turnouts along US 12 in Dane County to be used for enforcement and disabled vehicles. Corridor Safety Program along US 12 in Sauk and Dane counties is implemented. Additional law enforcement including aircraft surveillance is added. Public informational campaign begins and consists of news releases, electronic message signs and paycheck inserts. Cost: $25,000.

1998 - Various agencies request approval of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) be withheld until a validation study of the projects’ secondary impacts can be performed.

Environmental Protection Agency enters into a contract with the Argonne National Laboratory for an analysis of the US 12 secondary impacts to the BRNNL. Report does not resolve controversy over methods of analyzing secondary impacts.

US 12 Final Environmental Impact Statement is approved by Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) on November 5, 1998.

1999 - A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for US 12 is signed by all the major agencies involved in the project: governor, executives of Dane and Sauk counties, secretary of WisDOT, FHWA, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Nature Conservancy. MOA sets framework for mitigation measures.

Record of decision signed by FHWA on March 29, 1999, allowing the project to proceed.

Public information meeting held to present selected US 12 improvement as set forward in the record of decision.

Final design, including right of way plat preparation, begins.

2002 - Construction begins.

2005 - Construction ends.

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