Three major construction projects opening to traffic in Brown County

November 12, 2012

Main Avenue in DePere, Leo Frigo Bridge and Lakeview Drive all opening this week

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) Northeast Region in Green Bay is announcing good news for Brown County. Three major construction projects will reopen to traffic this week; the US 41/Main Avenue interchange, I-43 at the Leo Frigo Memorial Bridge and the Lakeview Drive bridge over US 41.

WisDOT Region Director Will Dorsey said, "These openings come just in time for the start of the holiday season. The department would like to thank motorists and Green Bay area businesses for their patience during this long construction season."

US 41/Main Avenue interchange
The US 41/Main Avenue interchange in De Pere will tentatively open to traffic by 6 a.m. on Friday, November 16. The interchange and Main Avenue under US 41 had been closed since September 17. 

In conjunction with this work, the Lawrence Drive park and ride lot will also reopen to traffic on November 16 and the Ashland Avenue median at Parkview Road will open by early next week.

The closure was part of the $57 million project to reconstruct the US 41/Main Avenue interchange and expand US 41 to six lanes of traffic between Orange Lane and Glory Road. Construction at the interchange and along US 41 began in March. The remaining work is scheduled to be complete by June 2013.

I-43/Leo Frigo Memorial Bridge
The $17 million project to improve the Leo Frigo Memorial Bridge and approximately 3.5 miles of I-43, from Irwin Avenue to Military Avenue, is suspending work operations for the winter. As a result, southbound I-43 will return to two lanes of traffic and the southbound I-43 on-ramp from Atkinson Drive will reopen by noon on Tuesday, November 13. Northbound I-43 will return to two lanes of traffic and the northbound I-43 on-ramp from Webster Avenue will open by noon on Thursday, November 15.

The speed limit on southbound I-43 between Atkinson Drive and Webster Avenue will remain 55 mph through the winter in the work zone area.

The project will resume in spring 2013 and is scheduled to be complete by July 2013.

Lakeview Drive (County EB) bridge
The reconstructed Lakeview Drive bridge over US 41 in the village of Howard will tentatively open to traffic by 6 p.m. on Saturday, November 17. Work on the project began in August.

The $3.3 million project involved replacing the bridge over US 41, building two retaining wall structures, and improvements to Lakeview Drive between East Deerfield Avenue and West Deerfield Avenue, ahead of the expansion of mainline US 41 from four to eight lanes that will begin in 2013.

While construction is wrapping up in these areas, motorists will still encounter lane restrictions and traffic impacts as part of the US 41 Project. Drivers should be aware of 11-foot travel lanes and reduced shoulders in multiple locations along a 10-mile segment of US 41 in Brown County. The speed limit is reduced to 55 mph from just south of Scheuring Road to I-43.

All work operations and scheduled openings are weather-dependent and subject to change.

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For more information, contact:
Communications Manager Kim A. Rudat, WisDOT NE Region
(920) 492-5743, kim.rudat@dot.wi.gov