(Waupun) A major highway project in Dodge County was recently advanced by the Transportation Projects Commission.
The project area includes Highway 151 from Columbus to Waupun with the goal of providing significant safety improvements along heavily used freight corridors critical to agricultural economics. State Transportation Department Secretary Craig Thompson says converting expressways to freeways is a proven way of increasing safety and efficiency. He adds that these routes currently have significantly higher crash rates than the statewide average and removing their at-grade crossings in favor of interchanges is a wise decision.
Project candidates that go before the Commission undergo an extensive evaluation that considers a project’s potential to enhance economic development, relieve traffic congestion, improve safety and achieve community objectives while minimizing environmental impacts. To move forward, candidate projects must also undergo an environmental review process.
The Commission also advanced a similar project along Highway 18/151 from Madison to Dodgeville. Both projects received unanimous votes from the bipartisan Commission and now move closer to inclusion in the state budget.
