The intersection at Oshkosh Avenue and North Sawyer Street in Oshkosh, seen January 24, 2025. PC: Fox 11 Online
OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The intersection at Oshkosh Avenue and North Sawyer Street in Oshkosh has been a sore spot for many in the community.
“Honestly, I think it’s a little more convoluted than it needs to be,” said Lauren Sweetman, an Oshkosh driver.
The city’s Transportation Committee is considering making changes to the intersection, including simplifying the design.
Public Works Director James Rabe agrees a change needs to be made.
“As a lifelong resident, that intersection is difficult to navigate. You know, if you’re traveling eastbound on that intersection, you’ve got two sets of stop lights,” he explained. “It can be very difficult, they generally change at almost the same time. It’s really difficult, there’s not a lot of room in-between.”
Rabe said a revamp has been on the city’s wish list for a while. Recently, the city was able to purchase properties north of Oshkosh Avenue, which will allow for changes.
The change the Transportation Committee is proposing creating a regular four-way stop, something the city says should make travel easier.
A second recommendation was given for a roundabout at the intersection. That’s a change Rabe said wouldn’t be practical.
“Due to the proximity of the lift bridge, that is absolutely not a recommendation. Anytime that bridge would go up, it would literally stop that intersection completely. It is not a good idea to have one in that location,” he said.
Sweetman is looking forward to the change.
“Normal four-way intersections seem to be what works. I don’t know why it was this in the first place. I don’t really think about road infrastructure too much, but I think it’s going to be a lot easier, especially for a lot of out of town people who are coming in and driving,” Sweetman said.
The Oshkosh Common Council will vote on the design at its meeting Tuesday. As of now, the proposed redesign wouldn’t go into effect until 2028.
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