The Two Rivers City Council doesn’t seem interested in a road project proposed by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
Public Works Director Matt Heckenlaible says WisDOT contacted them about providing funding through the Highway Safety Improvement Program to reduce 22nd Street from Monroe Street to Forest Avenue from four lanes down to two.
WisDOT says there have been close to 50 crashes over the last five years on the stretch of road and wants to help prevent it by creating a Two Way Dual Left turn at the end of it.
The project would also include rapid flashing beacons at 22nd and Jackson Street.
Heckenlaible said maybe three of the crashes could have been prevented with the left turn lanes.
“We have two lanes in each direction,” he explained. “There were improper lane changes that resulted in a crash. If you only have one lane, it basically takes that movement out of the equation.”
City Councilmember Adam Wachowski says thanks but no thanks, especially since the road reconstruction would be asphalt, not concrete, on 22nd Street.
“It wasn’t that long ago that we just redid that street, and the taxpayers along that street paid for that,” he described. “And that’s a road that we usually say lasts 50 to 75 years, and the new asphalt that they’re putting on there is not going to last that long.”
He’s also not sure if reducing lanes would help, noting that the DOT recently “in extra lanes on Highway 10, adding a lane because they had crashes and now, they’re claiming that going from four to two is going to reduce (crashes). So, I’m not quite sure I understand that.”
According to Two Rivers Police, most accidents happen at the intersection of 22nd and Washington Street, with 23, half of the 46 accidents totaling over five years.
After other council members and City Manager Greg Buckley agreed that the project didn’t seem necessary, they told Heckenlaible to explain to WisDOT that they aren’t interested right now.
Heckenlaible concurred with the council, saying he also agreed with their decision not to say no.
