WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — The Wausau Capital Improvements and Street Maintenance Committee has selected its preferred layout for the 17th Avenue reconstruction project next summer.
In a unanimous vote Thursday the committee went with the engineer’s recommendation of no changes, meaning the redesign will include a mountable median along with two lanes of traffic each way. Engineer TJ Niksich said not only was that design the least expensive option, but it also provides the best traffic flow.
“The raised median would be the best option to limit the number of left-turn conflicts,” said Niksich. “We’ve analyzed the traffic data and the crash data and didn’t really see any reason to change. There were very few traffic accidents and the ones that did occur would not have changed with a raised median.”
Additionally, the raised median options would have also forced westbound traffic to make a U-turn at 18th Avenue to get to Starbucks which Nikisch says would create additional “conflict points.”
Alder Lisa Rasmussen said despite the frustrations that come with the Starbucks drive-thru exit, which essentially creates a right-turn-only scenario for those exiting. But she adds that’s a small inconvenience compared to the lines that can develop during peak times at the coffee shop.
“With that center lane, that allows a larger number of cars to get out of the way when they are trying to turn into the drive-thru during those peak times at Starbucks. The neighborhood has complained about backups there.”
Rasmussen added that the property owners have also tried to redesign the drive-thru to allow more cars to queue on their property and off the street.
The full City Council will take up the recommendation later this month. Niksich says the city plans to bid out the project in January, with work to be conducted next summer.
Comments