May 31, 2013 - Doug Schneider - Green Bay Press Gazette

Traffic on the Claude Allouez Bridge, which averaged 29,800 vehicles per day in 2009, is projected toapproach 42,000 by 2035. Earlier versions of this story incorrectly stated the latter year.

Press-Gazette Media

While signs of progress on a long-awaited second bypass over the Fox River are not visible, signs offrustration are.

Planners still hope to begin building a new bridge south of downtown in 2020, but they say they can't becertain which of three alternatives will be chosen or exactly when that decision will be made. Nor can they be

certain about how or where the project would connect to U.S. 41.

The project, known as the Southern Connector, has long been promoted as an answer to traffic snarls indowntown De Pere. But the only snarls it's generating lately are not traffic-related.

"It's kind of become, for lack of a better term, laughable," Mayor Mike Walsh said last week. While sayingthat Brown County planners are doing their best, he said City Council and the community face "a level offrustration" because of the uncertainty over which route will be chosen.

Brown County planners said they have had to adjust the proposal as changes have been made to 41 andBrown County GV, two roads that would connect to the bypass route.

Recent changes to County GV required the county to re-do parts of the project's environmental-impactstatement, said Cole Runge, principal planner for the county. And the news than interstate highwaydesignation would be sought for U.S. 41 meant that the county had to rework its request that federal highwayofficials consider allowing construction of an interchange north of Creamery Road as part of the project.

The impacts: Significant uncertainty.

"At this point, we really don't have a timeline," Runge said. "We're kind of surprised ourselves at how slowlythis process has moved at times."

Without the bypass, traffic regularly backs up on and around the Claude Allouez Bridge downtown duringmorning and evening rush periods. And along Red Maple Road, development has been limited because thecity can't grant permits until the route has been decided, Council Member Larry Lueck said.

"We've already disallowed development because of this," he said.

Traffic on the Claude Allouez Bridge, which averaged 29,800 vehicles per day in 2009, is projected toapproach 42,000 by 2035. Construction of a southern connector would reduce the 2035 estimate by about6,700.

The bypass idea was initially broached in the late 1960s, Runge said. Planning began in earnest in 2006.

Correction

Traffic on the Claude Allouez Bridge, which averaged 29,800 vehicles per day in 2009, is projected toapproach 42,000 by 2035. Earlier versions of this story incorrectly stated the latter year.

The options

Three alternatives remain under consideration:

* An arterial street that would follow Scheuring and Heritage roads, using a bridge that would be built overthe Fox River near Greenwood Cemetery. The route would connect to U.S. 41 at the existing Scheuring Roadinterchange.

* An arterial that would follow Red Maple and Rockland roads, with a bridge connecting the two. The routewould connect to 41 at a new interchange north of Creamery Road.

* An arterial that would follow Red Maple and Rockland roads, with a bridge connecting the two. A second

new bridge would carry the arterial across 41, connecting it with existing streets at Scheuring Road andPackerland Drive in Lawrence.

--Press-Gazette Media