WIS 26 corridor EIS - Central segment preferred alternative

WIS 26 corridor

Environmental Impact Statement

Need/purpose

Selected alternatives

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WIS 26 corridor EIS - Selection of preferred alternative, Central segment

The central segment begins at the south Fort Atkinson Bypass interchange and ends at Baneck Lane north of Johnson Creek. This segment is about 17.5 miles in length, and includes the city of Jefferson.

The preferred alternative is C2, the near west Jefferson bypass corridor, with two modifications.

One modification moved the alignment of the highway in the area between Ft. Atkinson and Jefferson to just west of the Union Pacific Railroad. This alignment eliminated the potential for conflict with the Ft. Atkinson airport, and preserves an environmentally sensitive area called the Jefferson Railroad Prairie. This modification allows existing WIS 26 to remain between Jefferson and Ft. Atkinson to function as a local county highway.

The second modification was to move the US 18 interchange closer to the Jefferson city limits. The interchange is now located about 1,100 feet west of the Crawfish River, and the highway more closely follows farm property lines.

Map of preferred alternative

A near west Jefferson bypass alternative is preferred as it provides transportation and other benefits that the near east bypass does not provide, including:

Traffic flow is generally more oriented to Madison and Lake Mills than it is towards Helenville. A west bypass route best serves this desired westerly traffic flow.
Three schools (elementary, middle and high) are just east of the Crawfish River. The Jefferson Performing Arts Center with regularly scheduled performances is at the high school. The County Fairgrounds has over 150 events throughout the year, some which attract 40-50,000 daily visitors. These facilities generate substantial traffic from outside Jefferson, and are best served with a west bypass.
A west bypass eliminates the safety concerns over pedestrian circulation in and around the St. Coletta properties east of Jefferson.
A west bypass has a diamond interchange at US 18, while a near east bypass has a partial cloverleaf interchange to better address the pedestrian safety for attendees of St. Coletta. A diamond interchange is more easily understood by the traveling motorist, and requires less land to construct.
US 18 has an existing 80 foot right of way width on the west side of the city, and 66 feet on the east side. The wider width permits safer movement of traffic between the downtown area and the bypass, and better accommodates future roadway improvements.
The near west route impacts about half the amount of wetland acres as compared to the near east alternative.
The near east route severs farms on a diagonal, thereby leaving more difficult pie-shaped remnants for farming operations.
A near west route has eight fewer residential relocations than the near east alternative.

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