Four-lane 23 plan faces questioning

GREENBUSH — J-turns and emergency access across State 23 were the most frequent, but far from the only, questions state Department of Transportation officials faced here Monday.

The DOT officials were holding a public information meeting on plans to expand State 23 to four lanes from County P in Plymouth to Fond du Lac. Work is scheduled to start in 2012 and be completed by 2014, project leader Eric Danke told a standing room only crowd of more than 125 people in the Greenbush Town Hall.

The plan includes restricting access and closing some intersections and driveways completely, a prospect that raised many questions.

Greenbush Town Chairman Mike Limberg asked how emergency vehicles would be able to get across State 23 to calls north of the highway once medians are closed at certain intersections.

“The curbs will be mountable and emergency vehicles will be able to get across at slow speed to turn left or go straight,” Project Manager Paul Brauer told Limberg.

“We’re going to work with your emergency services,” added Kim Rudat, northeast regional communications manager. “We’ll make sure that they have access. They will have access. We’re not endangering lives.”

Danke went over the intersection changes that are planned for the Sheboygan County part of the project, from County P west to the Fond du Lac County line.

Along with the existing full intersection at County P/Pioneer Road, the other full intersections will be at Julie Court and Scenic View Drive, according to Danke.

T intersections, with access from only one direction only, will be installed at Spring Valley Road, Sunrise Road and Ridge Road (on the south side of State 23).

Right-turn intersections will be built at Plank Road, Chicadee Drive and Washington Street in Greenbush.

J-turn intersections are planned for County S, County A, Sugarbush Drive, County T and County U. All other existing road intersections with State 23 would be closed.

The J-turns will allow only right turns onto and off the highway, with a turning lane a safe distance down the highway to reverse directions and head back to continue travel along State 23 or on along the intersecting road.

Asked how J-turn intersections are working in other parts of the state, traffic safety engineer Scott Nelson conceded that there are none at present in Wisconsin. But he added that they have proven successful in reducing the number and severity of accidents in a number of other states, including North Carolina, Michigan, Iowa and Minnesota.

Nelson also pointed out that the DOT went to a modified version of a J-turn on a section of the U.S. 151 bypass around Fond du Lac recently. After several fatal accidents in that area before the change was made, there were no fatalities and fewer accidents of the latest data this spring, Nelson said.

One woman questioned whether the J-turn would allow enough distance to make the necessary lane transitions, especially in difficult weather conditions or in the face of unsafe driving by other vehicles.

“We’re not going to ever eliminate all the crash factors out there,” Rudat admitted. “But we believe in Jturns. We didn’t invent J-turns, but they’re being used successfully in other states.”

Nelson explained that the intent of J-turns is to break down the number of decisions drivers have to make proceeding into intersections, thus reducing the potential for accidents.

Asked why overpasses or interchanges were not included at some of the intersections where J-turns are planned, the DOT officials conceded that cost factors were involved.

An overpass or interchange is considered the safest alternative, the DOT’s Rob Wagner allowed, but the department considers the J-turn the next safest alternative. “It came down to funding. We’re only given so much money,” Wagner stated.

After their presentation, the DOT officials met individually with attendees to answer specific questions, many dealing with the impact of the project on individual properties.

Rudat said after the meeting that, as part of the entire project from Plymouth to Fond du Lac, the DOT will be purchasing 245 acres of land for right-of-way, including close to 50 barns, homes, businesses and other structures.

That process will take place over the next two years, Danke said.

The plan is to utilize the existing two-lane highway as the eastbound lanes of the four-lane State 23, with the two westbound lanes to be constructed to the north of the existing highway. The existing roadway will be resurfaced simultaneously.

Also, the Old Plank Road Trail will be completed west to the Fond du Lac County line as part of the project.

“The department is excited to finally be getting to the stretch run on this project,” Rudat concluded. “This is a major project for this area of the state.”