- The Wisconsin Department of Transportation will begin construction on its I-41 improvement project in July
- The project will rebuild and expand 23 miles of Interstate 41 from four lanes to six lanes between Appleton and De Pere
- WISDOT is holding a noise barrier public involvement meeting Jan. 23 at 5 p.m.
- We joined a local moving truck driver on a ride down I-41 to learn why he is looking forward to the changes, but not the construction
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
Upgrades are coming to I-41 this year. At Southbridge Road, there is not currently an exit — but construction on one is starting this summer, marking the beginning of some challenges for commuters.
We took a ride down I-41 in a moving truck with Scott Isable.
He's the owner of a local moving company, and he's driven this stretch many times — and he says it's not always pretty.
"We see accidents happen because people do not slow down and take heed to the construction zone slow-down signs," Isable said.
Construction zones are coming soon — as improvements are on the way for Isable and thousands of other drivers.
The first step will start in July — laying dirt for the new interchange here and starting work on other bridge improvements.
"We need to get those bridges done and replaced, so that it's wider and we can get to the highway underneath it," Scott Ebel said.
Project manager Scott Ebel says that could cause some exit closures in Little Chute and Appleton.
By 2025, night work begins on the project — and lanes narrow. Noise barriers are also being proposed for some areas, like here, off of French Court.
"People will see temporary concrete barriers on either side," Ebel said. "Things are a little bit tighter. You need to watch out a little bit more for potential incidents and things like that on the roadway."
Crews will work to expand it to six lanes.
"An additional lane of traffic provides additional capacity for our projected traffic volumes," Ebel said.
Isable is looking forward to the final product — even though the construction will be a challenge.
"I think it's worth it," Isable said. "We have to expand, because we're not going to go back to horse and buggy. We have to expand the roadways."
WISDOT is holding a public meeting where you can learn more about the project, including the noise barriers. That meeting is scheduled for next Tuesday, January 23rd at 5 p.m.
