NEWS

Caution urged for drivers, boaters for holiday weekend

Paul Srubas
USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
  • Boaters are urged to watch out for dredging barges%2C markers
  • Drivers will have construction sites%2C rain to contend with
  • Construction will halt for the holiday weekend%2C but cones%2C barrels and lane closures will remain
Traffic moves along U.S. 41 near the Lineville Road exit as construction continues on the highway in Howard.

The annual rush of Memorial Day traffic on the state's highways and waterways is again prompting law enforcement officials to urge drivers and boaters to use caution when traveling this weekend.

That's especially true in construction zones, which should complicate things for both modes of transportation.

Highway construction zones will be an issue for drivers even though work will be halted to accommodate the heavy holiday traffic, said Mark Kantola, projects communication manager for the state Department of Transportation.

Kantola said work on state highway projects will stop at noon Friday and resume at 2 a.m. Tuesday.

"We've got to make sure all lanes are clear of people and shoulders of any equipment or material that could interrupt the free flow of traffic," he said. "That said, there is still going to be barrier walls, orange barrels, soft shoulders and lane restrictions. These in themselves will cause a traffic impact to holiday travelers, especially on the 41 project in Brown County and the 441 projects in Outagamie and Winnebago counties."

During the Memorial Day weekend last year, 11 people died in traffic crashes in the state, according to the DOT. On average over the last five years, eight people die over the holiday weekend each year, the DOT says.

State troopers will be out on their "Click It or Ticket" operation, targeting unbuckled drivers and passengers, Sgt. Luke Newman of the State Patrol said. That means extra patrols, and they'll be watching for drunken drivers and speeders, too, he said.

Also, don't think you can drive 70 mph, just because Gov. Walker signed the 70-mph speed limit bill this week. It doesn't go into effect until the signs are posted, Newman said.

A view from the Military Avenue overpass as traffic moves along northbound and southbound on I-43 in Howard.

The signs are going up first along rural interstates, according to the DOT. That means about 470 new signs along 726 miles of roadway, but work installing them won't begin until June.

Dredging work on the Fox River will also require extra caution on the part of boaters, who must avoid the barges and pipes in the water, said Warden Chris Groth of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

"When you see the signs, you're entering a construction zone where the work is taking place," Groth told boaters Wednesday. "Lighted orange and white buoys alert the watercraft to areas where the pipeline may be floating near a dredge or spreader barge or one of the booster pumps. It's critical that boaters stay clear of those areas."

Holiday travelers should see dry weather as they head out Friday or Saturday, but Sunday and Memorial Day could see rain, according to the National Weather Service.

That may cut back on the highway traffic, but it also could make for slippery conditions and poor visibility, requiring even more caution, Newman said.

— psrubas@pressgazettemedia.com and follow him on Twitter @PGpaulsrubas.

Traffic moves along southbound on U.S. 41 near the Interchange work in Howard.

Significant road construction projects that may affect highway travel during the Memorial Day weekend include the following:

• Zoo interchange in Milwaukee. Two system ramps are closed: from northbound I-894/45 to westbound I-94, and I-94 westbound to I-894/45 southbound.

• Reconstruction of I-794 east of the Marquette Interchange. (Access to downtown and the lakefront is from Plankinton Avenue.)

• I-94 north-south corridor is reduced to two lanes at the WIS 20 interchange in Racine County.

• US 12/WIS 50 interchange in Lake Geneva is reduced to one lane in both directions on US 12. The US 12 westbound off-ramp to WIS 50 eastbound is closed.

• Marathon County U and K/Business 51 interchange reconstruction in Wausau. Reduced speed limit on US 51 between Bridge Street and County K. Eastbound and westbound lanes of County K (Business 51) under US 51 are closed until mid-June. Northbound US 51 off-ramp to County K is also closed until mid-June.

• WIS 54 at the Maple Drive intersection in Plover is scheduled to be closed until early September. WIS 54 traffic is being detoured via I-39 and Portage County B.

• Bong Bridge between Duluth and Superior.

• I-41 in Outagamie and Brown counties and WIS 441 over Little Lake Butte des Morts in Winnebago County. Lane restrictions and speed reductions will slow traffic.

• In Brown County, lane closure on I-43 northbound between the Leo Frigo Bridge and the I-41/43 interchange.

• I-90 in La Crosse reduced to one lane of traffic in each direction.

• Verona Road and the Madison Beltline in Dane County.