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Verona Road/US 151 study

US 151 is the main highway link between southwestern Wisconsin and the state and national transportation system. US 151 is also a critical arterial for the Madison Metropolitan area and a gateway to both Fitchburg and Madison.

Growing traffic volumes on the portion between County PD and the Madison Beltline are compromising mobility, efficiency, and safety. This study seeks to address these concerns and in doing so preserve US 151’s function and ability to serve the diverse transportation needs of our community and state.

The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) includes both Verona Road (US 18/151) and the West Beltline (US 12/14). Going forward, it will still include Verona Road from Nakoma Road to County PD. The Beltline portion will be reduced to the portions immediately east and west, between Whitney Way and Todd Drive.

• View a map of the Verona Road/US 151 study area

The remainder of the DEIS portion of the Beltline has been rolled into a new study of the entire Beltline from US 14 in Middleton to County N east of I-39.

That study is analyzing existing Beltline conditions and will soon recommend short-term improvements designed to improve the operations and safety of the existing route without adding capacity. In 2008, it will look at whether one or more new grade-separated crossings of the Beltline (between existing interchanges) should be added. Improvements recommended by the Beltline study will have their own public involvement, environmental, design, and construction efforts.

As the Verona Road Study proceeds, the details of the improvements will be defined, prioritized and described in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). The replacement of the Verona Road and Beltline interchange, where safety and congestion needs are the greatest, is likely to occur first. Small improvements at one or more intersections that would improve safety and reduce congestion in the short term will also be evaluated. 

A Supplemental DEIS describing the changes in the study, and an FEIS with all the final recommendations and updated costs, is expected to be released by 2010.

Subject to completion of this study and the allocation of construction funding, the reconstruction of Verona Road/US 151 interchange could begin as early as 2013 or 2014.

Questions about the content of this page, contact:
WisDOT Southwest Region Office-Madison, madison.dtd@dot.wi.gov
Last modified: June 15, 2009