State transportation officials are hoping to restart a long delayed construction project on Highway 23.
The DOT has completed a new study on expanding the road to four lanes between Fond Du Lac and Plymouth.
State Senator Devin LeMahieu says Highway 23 is known for being a dangerous road, with 207 crashes over the course of the latest study. “Of those 207 crashes, 53 of them were vehicles crossing the center line.”
One problem with the two-lane stretch of highway is that it is very cramped, and sometimes hard to navigate, says LeMahieu. “There aren’t a whole lot of places to pass. It winds around, goes up and down, and with the increased traffic some drivers sometimes get a little impatient and maybe do risky moves.”
That project has been on hold since 2015 after objections from an environmental group stopped construction the weekend before it was slated to begin. LeMahieu says the plan continues to have public support, despite objections from 1000 Friends of Wisconsin.
“629 people supported a four lane expansion, 24 people supported adding passing lanes, and no one supported leaving it as is.”
He’s hoping the new study will satisfy the federal court and allow the construction to continue.
A public hearing on the project is set for June 19 at UW-Fond Du Lac.
