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WIS 83 project - Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) summary

The WIS 83 engineering and environmental corridor study identified three main reasons for the proposed transportation improvements:

Traffic

As planned development continues in the WIS 83 corridor and surrounding area, there will be a corresponding increase in traffic. Within a 20-year planning period, traffic on WIS 83 is projected to increase by a range of 53 to 64 percent. 

By 2026, all but the County X to County DE/E segment that includes the Genesee Depot area will have higher traffic volumes than a two-lane highway can safely accommodate at an acceptable service level.

Safety

WIS 83 currently has many safety concerns including several sharp curves and steep hills that limit visibility. Many of the side road intersections are angled or connect to WIS 83 at curves. 

The highway's shoulders are narrow and there are numerous driveways where turning traffic conflicts with through traffic. Except for short segments, the WIS 83 corridor has crash rates above the statewide average for similar highways.

Corridor preservation

Because proposed improvements to WIS 83 are long-term and planned development will continue over time, a transportation "blueprint" will assist local officials in making land use and development decisions along with preserving land needed for future transportation improvements.

Alternatives

The reasonable build alternatives evaluated in the Final EIS address several key factors:

• Present and future traffic demand.
• Existing highway deficiencies and safety concerns.
• Environmental constraints including adjacent development and natural resources.
• Community values that include maintaining the rural character and aesthetic features along the corridor.
• Preserving land for future transportation improvements.

In general, the build alternatives would widen the existing highway to a four-lane facility with a best-fit alignment that minimizes overall impacts to existing development and environmental resources. 

In the Genesee Depot area where traffic forecasts indicate additional capacity would not be needed by 2026, the alternatives include no build and reconstructing the existing two-lane highway. 

To consider longer-term needs, a four-lane corridor preservation alternative on existing alignment or south/west of existing WIS 83 at Genesee Depot is also evaluated.

The Final EIS compares the impacts of the reasonable build alternatives and identifies the preferred alternative. The preferred alternative would widen existing WIS 83 to a four-lane facility except in the Genesee Depot area (WIS 59 to County DE/E) and from WIS 16 to Chapel Ridge Road where it is recommended to reconstruct the existing 2-lane highway to modern design standards. 

The preferred alternative would be oriented to the existing highway alignment, and the existing pavement would be incorporated in the proposed improvements where practical. Primary impact categories include wetlands, farmland, and residential and business displacements. The EIS also evaluates impacts on historic sites, public use land, and trails, noise, air quality, water quality and aesthetics.

Public involvement

A public hearing based on the draft EIS was held Thursday, November 20, 2003, in Wales. 

A public information meeting was held Tuesday, April 12, 2005 in Mukwonago to provide updates on scheduling WIS 83 improvements. 

The Final EIS documents the preferred alternative, basis for its selection, and public hearing results. The Final EIS is available for public and agency review and the process will conclude with a Record of Decision.

Improvements in the WIS 83 corridor will be prioritized by need and constructed in segments beginning in 2009 at the earliest. The Meadow Lane to WIS 16 and County DE/E to Hillside Drive segments would have a higher priority due to emerging safety concerns and high traffic volumes and are also dependent on funding and local cost share agreements. Multi-lane construction from County X to County DE/E is not anticipated to occur within the project's planning timeframe (design year 2026). 

WisDOT will consider splitting the segments shown in the EIS into smaller parts if warranted by need and if funding is available. A two-lane reconstruction from County NN to WIS 59 is planned within the four-lane corridor in 2009 as an interim improvement.

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Questions about the content of this page:
Emlynn Grisar, SEWICommuter@dot.state.wi.us
Last modified: April 21, 2006