New interchange brings promise of motorist safety , community prosperity
By Bob Brown
From initial conception to final construction , it was over 20 years in the making . But the enhanced traffic safety and economic vitality sure to follow make the modernization of a key section of Wisconsin State Highway 29 well worth the wait .
Since the 1990s the Wisconsin Department of Transportation ( WisDOT ) has considered Highway 29 a “ Backbone ” corridor as it is the state ’ s most heavily traveled east-west route north of Interstate 94 .
The four-lane divided highway connects Green Bay in the east with I-94 near the state ’ s western border with Minnesota . Much of the Highway 29 traffic consists of trucks hauling loads between Green Bay and the Twin Cities , indicating the highway ’ s importance to Wisconsin businesses , industry , and agriculture .
For most of its length , Highway 29 passes through rural farmland and is dotted with at-grade intersections . But in the most populous area it serves , Brown County on Wisconsin ’ s northeastern border , the long-term plan has been to replace all at-grade intersections with a better alternative . In early October that transition was completed with the official opening of a new diamond interchange at the meeting of Highway 29 and County Highway VV that replaces the County ’ s last two at-grade intersections at County Highways VV and U . www . AyresAssociates . com www . AyresAssociates . com
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