DOT announces plans for 1996 construction

Completion of John Nolen Drive on the list

[Reprinted from the February 16, 1996 Wisconsin State Journal. -Ed.]

By Roger A. Gribble

The state Department of Transportation has outlined its 1996 highway projects, most of which will start in late April or May.

Among the projects scheduled:

• Finish the expansion of John Nolen Drive along Lake Monona where the city is building the Monona Terrace Convention Center.
• Replace two bridges in the Interstate 90-94 interchange east of Madison. Both are on the ramp carrying traffic from eastbound I-90-94 to eastbound I-94.
• Resurface a nine-mile-stretch of 1-94 east of Madison.
• Expand Highway 151 to four lanes between Beaver Dam and Waupun. Started last year, the project will be finished in 1997.
• Build a new Highway 81 Portland Avenue bridge across the Rock River in Beloit.
• Replace the Court Street bridge across the Rock River in Janesville.
• Rebuild Highway 26 from Jefferson to Watertown.

Work on a two-year Madison project-- rebuilding highways 51 and 30 on the East Side-- has al- ready begun. That project will be finished this year.

Also scheduled for completion this year is reconstruction of a one-mile section. of West Dayton Street.

Work is expected to begin in April and be completed by September. The street will be closed to through traffic but access to area businesses and residences will be maintained, the DOT said.

Work will involve replacing badly cracked pavement between North Randall Avenue and North Broom Street, installing two-way left turn lanes at the major intersections and reducing the curve east of North Bedford Street.

West Dayton Street is an alternate route for east-west traffic through the UW-Madison campus.

In Dodge County, the DOT said two-lane traffic will be maintained during construction of the 19-mile, $35 million highway 151 project.

It also said all lanes will be open on weekends during resurfacing of 1-94 between I-90 and Highway 73.

Work on rebuilding highways 51 and 30 started despite cold weather so that paving could be completed this year.

Highway 30 is restricted to one lane in each direction between the 1-90-94 interchange and Highway 151 (East Washington Avenue).

In addition, ramps carrying traffic from I-90 and I-94 to Highway 30 are closed. There are no restrictions for traffic from 1-94 to Highway 30.

Highway 51 will be narrowed to a single lane in each direction between Highway 30 and Milwaukee Street beginning in April, and between Milwaukee Street and Highway 12-18 (the Beltline) in May.

The project will include a new interchange at Milwaukee Street reconstruction of the Highway 51-30 interchange and work on six other bridges.

In Beloit the new Portland Avenue bridge scheduled for completion by September will have bicycle lanes, wide sidewalks, six scenic overlooks and a decorative railing.

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