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US 41 expansion, Marinette & Oconto Counties - need

As part of the EIS process, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) has identified three primary reasons to expand US 41 from Oconto to Peshtigo: capacity, safety and continuity.

Capacity
US 41 projected traffic volumes for 2007 exceed the present capacity of the roadway. The 2007 average daily traffic (ADT) projection near the Oconto River in Oconto is 14,700, and the ADT projection for the same year near the Peshtigo River in Peshtigo is 21,800. By 2027, ADT will increase to 18,000 in Oconto and 27,300 in Peshtigo at those same locations.

US 41 from Oconto to Peshtigo also carries nearly double the statewide average percentage of heavy trucks. Approximately 17.3 percent of the vehicles traveling on this section are designated as heavy trucks. The statewide average for similar locations ranges from 9 to 10 percent.

Safety
The existing highway has 90 side roads and 320 driveway access points. The frequency of urban access points along the route promotes and adds to congestion and the potential for crashes.

During the five-year period of 1998 through 2002, a total of 438 crashes (excluding deer hits) occurred along the US 41 corridor. About 57 percent of total crashes involved property damage and about 41 percent involved personal injury. There were also eight fatalities during this period. 

The types of crashes that occurred are indicative of traffic congestion, inadequate roadway width, lack of exclusive turn lanes and conflicts between through and turning traffic. 

The total crash and injury rates in Oconto and Peshtigo were above statewide average rates and the fatal crash rate in Peshtigo was above the statewide average rate. Between Oconto and Peshtigo, the total and injury crash rates were below statewide average rates and the fatal crash rate was above the statewide average rate. 

As traffic volumes increase, the crash rate is anticipated to increase along the project length.

Continuity
This 21-mile section of US 41 from Oconto to Peshtigo is currently the only section of the 221-mile length of US 41 in the state of Wisconsin to remain a two-lane roadway. 

Upgrading this section will provide continuity with abutting four-lane sections and make US 41 fully compatible with its designated status as a backbone route under Wisconsin’s Corridors 2020 Plan. Highways designated as backbone routes have four or more lanes and provide uninterrupted travel. 

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Questions about the content of this page:
Northeast Transportation Region, greenbay.dtd@dot.state.wi.us
Last modified: November 7, 2007