Governor Scott Walker is moving forward with plans to have Highway 41 designated as an Interstate highway. In Green Bay Tuesday, the governor said he told the DOT Secretary Mark Gottlieb to start work on an environmental impact study and a proposal to the federal government to get the Interstate declaration. Walker said the Interstate status would be an economic driver from Milwaukee to Green Bay. “In this corridor we’ve got 864,000 jobs that are connected nearby where U.S. 41 is today and where this new Interstate corridor is going to be,” the governor said, adding that it would attract new businesses, and visitors. “All along the way there are major tourist attractions as well as smaller attractions in between. Having a strong Interstate system is not only important for manufacturers and other employers, it’s tremendously important as we seek to attract more visitors to the state of Wisconsin, particularly out of the Chicago market.” Walker said Highway 41 could be assigned an Interstate number by the end of the year, and he hopes the signs can be put up by 2015.
Rick Schuh, WHBY