FOND DU LAC, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Plans to expand Hwy. 23 between Fond du Lac and Sheboygan are back on after a new environmental study was finished.
The state Department of Transportation has been planning to expand 19.1 miles of the highway to four lanes and improve some intersections in the stretch.
Brian Lipke, WisDOT planning project manager, tells FOX 11 WIS 23 will also be designated as an expressway.
“Safety has gotten in everybody’s radar, papers are reporting accidents, it’s been a concern for the regional office here as well so we’re excited to get out there and do something about it and get the construction rolling.”
The project was put on hold when the DOT agreed to reopen its environmental review following a lawsuit from the group 1,000 Friends of Wisconsin.
Despite the numerous car crashes, a group called ‘1,000 Friends of Wisconsin’ filed a lawsuit against the project 7 years ago.
FOX 11 contacted the group but they were not available for an interview.
In the 2011 federal lawsuit, the plaintiff opposed the expansion saying it would displace residents, farms and businesses.
The lawsuit claimed the DOT didn’t hold a proper public hearing on the issue and didn’t provide accurate traffic projection numbers to justify the project.
But after revising the study, and considering a handful of other alternatives, the DOT said they now have a strong case for passing the expansion.
“We firmly believe the document will hold up in court,” said Lipke.
“We’ve addressed every issue that has been raised so we feel pretty confident.”
On Monday, the DOT and Federal Highway Administration signed off on the new review.
According to the DOT, the project will cost roughly $153 million through 2023.
Plans now call for construction to begin next summer in Sheboygan County. The project is scheduled to wrap up in 2022, when work is completed in Fond du Lac County.
