The new Wisconsin 441 Tri-County Project (WIS 441) project features the latest in design and technology. The WIS 441 is needed to address safety concerns and traffic demands on one of the region’s vital transportation routes. Traffic volume is expected to rise on US 10/WIS 441 in the years ahead, and additional traffic lanes are needed to safely accommodate this increase. The existing interchanges also need safety and capacity improvements. This drone video shows the Appleton Road Interchange—part of the US 441 Tri-County Project—featuring the 4 roundabouts that were constructed at interchanges located east of Little Lake Butte des Morts.
ROUNDABOUTS: The most modern and safest form of intersection in the U.S., roundabouts are gaining popularity in the United States due to their proven track record of providing safer and more efficient traffic flow. Studies by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety show that roundabouts can:
- Reduce fatal crashes by 90%
- Reduce crashes with injuries by 76%
- Reduce pedestrian crashes 30-40%
Kurt Peters, Project Manager-Wisconsin Department of Transportation, USA (WisDOT) reported that the WisDOT has been installing roundabouts as intersection control for several years. There are many benefits to roundabout compared to other types of intersection control:
- Safety—the #1 reason WisDOT installs roundabouts—Severe crashes and injury causing crashes are greatly reduced
- Capacity– in many situations the capacity of an intersection is greater with a smaller footprint
- Appleton Road interchange—the use of roundabouts allowed existing bridges to be utilized
- In some situations, it is a cost savings compared to traffic signals
- Concrete pavements are typically utilized on urban roundabouts
- The typical section is 9” concrete, 6” base, 16” breaker, 12” concrete truck apron
Concrete quantities for the project include: High Performance Concrete Pavement (32,000 SY), Colored Concrete Sidewalk (4,450 SY), Colored Concrete Truck Apron (1,450 SY) and Concrete Sidewalk (45,000 SF)
Drone filming by: Susan Paulus, Appleton, WI
For photos on the project in Dropbox, provided by Susan Paulus, please click here.
For project information on the WISDOT website, please click here.
For the Google map, please click here.
