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Deaths on Highway 15 spur safety improvements

WisDOT announces short-term fixes while bypass proposal stalls

By Scott Bellile


The Wisconsin Department of Transportation plans to improve traffic safety on State Highway 15 following two fatal crashes this month.

The changes will span 11 miles from U.S. Highway 45 in Hortonia to Lily of the Valley Drive in Greenville, the DOT announced on Wednesday, May 15.

Beginning Monday, May 20, an increased law enforcement presence will crack down on speeders and reckless drivers. Speed radar trailers will also be placed.

Infrastructure will receive attention, too. The DOT will repaint centerlines and fog lines, assess signing for condition and federal compliance, and review traffic light timing.

As far as the traffic light timing, engineers will study vehicle backups at stoplights in Hortonville during peak commute times, according to Mark Kantola, regional communications manager for the DOT Northeast Region.

To reduce backups, green light durations may be reduced for side street traffic and increased for highway traffic later this month, Kantola said.

The DOT is also developing a schedule for the proposed State 15 bypass. The project still awaits approval by the state legislature and has sat in limbo since the corridor plan was completed in 2001.

Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson said at an April 15 news conference pertaining to the proposed bypass that while it would yield economic benefits for the area, “this I think first and foremost is a public safety issue.”

The number of traffic deaths on State 15 between Hortonia and Grand Chute increased by two this month to 16 total since bypass planning began in 2001.

On May 4, 31-year-old Shane Beauchamp of Manawa was on a motorcycle when he died in a three-vehicle collision with a car and motorcycle near Cross Road.

Five days later, on May 9, 10-year-old Noah Taylor of Kaukauna was killed when a car driven by his mother rear-ended a pickup, crossed the centerline and struck an oncoming Hortonville Area School District bus near County Highway JJ.

Hortonville Village Administrator David DeTroye said at last month’s news conference he would act as a “thorn” in the side of state lawmakers until they approve the bypass project that has been in limbo for years.

“I’m going to do it appropriately though, but my intention is to push this forward,” DeTroye said at the time.

Asked for his reaction to the DOT’s announcement of increased law enforcement and road improvements, DeTroye called it “a good start.”

However, police can only patrol so much of an 11-mile stretch, and refreshing paint and signage will not solve the safety issues, he added.

“The problem has a solution, and the bypass will work if implemented,” DeTroye said. “Traffic studies have already proven the problem exists so further research at this point is meaningless and wasteful.

“I commend the DOT and law enforcement for their efforts and want to reiterate we are all working and doing what we can to help solve the problem,” DeTroye said. “Now it’s just a matter of time and money. What is needed is for this project to stay in the budget and come to fruition as projected 2021-2024.”

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