OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — Currently, the only way to cross I-41 on foot or bicycle in Oshkosh is to travel through several roundabouts, but an $8 million federal grant will change that.
- $8 million was awarded to the City of Oshkosh through the Safe Streets for All Grant.
- The grant will fund a new pedestrian and bicyclist bridge over I-41.
- The bridge is part of the City's 2011 Bike and Pedestrian Circulation Plan.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story edited for web)
Dan Gehri bikes across I-41 every day to get to work.
“I take the sidewalks obviously because it’s easier for the roundabouts, but still, to get through, you gotta be careful.”
Gehri says he usually travels early in the morning or later at night, but traffic is worst when he goes home for lunch in the middle of the day.
“I like to bike, it’s good for me, it’s good for the environment, but there are moments when I think I maybe should drive," he says. "It’s a little nerve-racking to try and navigate the traffic.”
The new pedestrian and bicyclist bridge will likely cross I-41 from the East between Taft and Robin Avenues to Patriot Lane on the West.
City of Oshkosh transportation director, Jim Collins, says the plan won't be finalized until several public comment sessions and discussions with city council.
For Gehri, a designated pedestrian bridge would make his daily commute a lot easier.
“That would be outstanding because like I said I got to navigate four roundabouts to get to where I'm going and get home everyday," he says.
The plan for the bridge was introduced in the2011 Oshkosh Bike and Pedestrian Circulation Plan.
In addition to the bridge, the plan calls for more sidewalks, bike lanes and other accommodations for bimodal transportation.
Collins says the circulation plan is meant to make Oshkosh more bike friendly.
“To allow bicyclists and pedestrians to share the streets along with vehicles," Collins says.
To fund the bridge, the city applied for the Safe Streets for All Grant through the U.S Department of Transportation and was awarded $8,061,592 on Sept. 8.
While the grant funds will have no effect on local taxes, the city must match an additional $2 million to receive the money.
Collins says they will work with Oshkosh City Council to allocate the funds from the city budget.
“This project’s been in the plan for a long time, and I think it’s going to have a lot of benefits for citizens and visitors alike," he says.
Collins says the city still has much of the planning to do on this project, but construction for the bridge will likely begin in 2026.
