APPLETON (NBC 26) — The Wisconsin Department of Transportation answers community questions about a major expansion project during a meeting at Fox Valley Technical College Thursday.
- Video shows maps of areas where I-41 which are set to be reconstructed throughout the next six years
- 23 miles of the interstate between Oshkosh and Green Bay will be expanded
- Managers say the corridor will have three lanes of traffic in each direction and 12-foot wide shoulders when all is said and done
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation answers community questions about a major expansion project. I'm Pari Apostolakos reporting in Appleton where the DOT shared plans for the $1 billion project.
"The I-41 corridor has a higher crash rate than a lot of other similar highways with similar traffic volumes."
And that's why, starting in the next few weeks, 23 miles of Interstate 41 between Oshkosh and Green Bay will be expanded. Plus, rebuilding interchanges and building a new headquarters for the northeast region of the Wisconsin State Patrol.
The project will cost more than $1 billion. It is expected to wrap up in 2030.
"Right now it's four lanes of traffic, it's congested every day."
Managers say the corridor will have three lanes of traffic in each direction and 12-foot wide shoulders when all is said and done.
One retired firefighter went to the Department of Transportation's public meeting about the project. He didn't want to get on camera. But, he told me he saw many crashes along I-41 during his years in the fire service and he wishes the project happened sooner.
"We try not to sugarcoat construction impacts. We understand that construction can be an inconvenience to businesses, to drivers."
Despite inconveniences that might happen during construction, the Department of Transportation believes the expansion will help businesses and people in the long run.
"It allows easier travel, easier handling of freight. Less backups, less delays ... It just helps the communities as a whole."
Project managers ask people to be careful when driving through constriction zones. In Appleton Pari Apostolakos NBC 26.
