NOTE: The WIS 21 Planning Study has concluded and stopped short of officially mapping future highway needs and designating WIS 21 as a expressway. The planning data and recommendations provided in this study can provide a good foundation when/if this stretch of WIS 21 is converted to an expressway in the future.
Project location
WIS 21, Omro to Oshkosh, in Winnebago County (Rivermoor Rd. to I-41).
Project overview
WIS 21 is an important state highway serving the local economy and linking major population and economic centers.
The plan will include:
- Designation of WIS 21 as a future expressway under State Statute 84.295.
- Preliminary plans showing the proposed expressway design that includes intersections.
- An official map to preserve the land required to convert WIS 21 to an expressway filed and recorded with Winnebago
- NOTE: The WIS 21 Planning Study has concluded and stopped short of officially mapping future highway needs and designating WIS 21 as a expressway. The planning data and recommendations provided in this study can provide a good foundation when/if this stretch of WIS 21 is converted to an expressway in the future County.
No construction is currently scheduled. There is no timeline proposed for physical conversion of the highway to expressway following the recording of formal designation and official mapping . The department will continue to monitor the WIS 21 corridor's safety and traffic operations, while referring to the official map for right of way preservation and corridor management plan for future, mid-term, and long-term improvements
Why is this study needed?
WIS 21 is an important route across Central Wisconsin connecting the city of Oshkosh (I-41) with the Sparta/La Crosse area (WIS 16/27/71) and is classified as an arterial facility serving regional transportation needs.
As development occurs along the WIS 21 study corridor, it is anticipated that competition between local and regional traffic will result in increased congestion and a deteriorating Level of Service (LOS). As a result, the primary needs identified for the study include:
- Use Corridor Preservation Study to provide consistent system linkage and connectivity for the long term.
- Maintain and enhance the safety, operation, and mobility of the corridor by addressing existing and anticipated conflicts at existing intersections and driveways.
- Balance land use and transportation needs through collaboration with local units of government.
What the study does
The purpose of the study is to designate and officially map WIS 21 as an Expressway under State Statute 84.295.
The study will look at a long range plan of the WIS 21 corridor that will:
- Improve mobility and operating capacity by reducing congestion and travel time.
- Improve safety by reducing the number of vehicle conflict points and the potential for intersection-related crashes.
- Develop transportation improvements that are compatible with sound comprehensive plans.
What the study means to citizens
The study will:
- Allow citizens to stay informed about future improvements along the WIS 21 corridor.
- Allow growth in the area according to the future transportation plans.
- Help to keep lower the cost for future improvements, by preventing the need for the expensive acquisition of developed properties along the corridor.
Schedule
Past (anything prior to today)
2015
2013
-
May 21, 2013 - PIM, Expressway conversion alternatives
- Spring 2013 - Local officials and stakeholder committee meeting to discuss remaining alternatives
2012
- Fall 2012 - Expressway Facility selected
2011
- Fall 2011 - Present preferred alternative
- Fall 2011 - Transportation project plat
- Early 2011 - Local officials and stakeholder committee meeting
- Fall 2011 - Present preferred alternative
- Fall 2011 - Transportation project plat
- Early 2011 - Local officials and stakeholder committee meeting
2010
• Late 2010 - PIM
• Summer 2010 - Local officials and stakeholder committee meeting
2009
• Late 2009-early 2010 - PIM
• Fall 2009 - Local officials and stakeholder committee meeting
2008
•Fall 2008-Summer 2009 - Alternatives analysis
2006
• Summer 2006-Fall 2008 - Systems interchange feasibility review
• Early 2006 - PIM
2005
•Late 2005-early 2006 - Alternatives development
•Fall 2005 - Stakeholder committee meeting
2004
• Fall 2004-early 2005 - Traffic analysis
• Fall 2004 - Stakeholder committee meeting
• Fall-late 2004 - Data gathering
Major steps in preparing the plan include:
- Gathering information such as traffic volumes, crash data, existing land use and environmental characteristics.
- Determining future land use and travel demand.
- Determining transportation and community needs.
- Developing transportation improvement alternatives.
- Analyzing transportation improvement alternatives to determine their ability to meet the WIS 21 goal and objectives.
- Preparing alternative concept drawings for corridor improvements.