An extended cold spell is leading to bumpy roads in Brown County. The highway department says nature needs to take its course and conditions will improve after the Spring thaw. PC: Fox 11 Online
BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — It’s not unusual for Wisconsin roads to be slick and snow covered this time of year, but the cold weather is causing other problems on some Brown County roads.
Best roller coaster: Zippin Pippin or Allouez Avenue? That’s the question being posed on a Green Bay Reddit page.
“I don’t think it’s as bad as the Zippin Pippin, but it’s bumpy, and I think it’s only going to get worse,” said Betty Murphy of Allouez.
These bumpy driving conditions on Allouez Avenue are bringing laughs to some on the roads.
“Like a wave,” added Kellie Bristol.
Also known as County Highway O, Allouez Avenue is the responsibility of Brown County. County Highway Commissioner Chris Hardy says it’s not abnormal for road surfaces to change a bit during winter, but our long stretch of below-freezing temperatures is definitely making things worse.
“When you get those sub-zero days in a row and the frost drives deep into the ground, then you start to see more of those issues,” Hardy said.
Roads like Allouez Avenue, which is set for reconstruction in 2029, are older, so there’s more cracking on the surface. Those cracks allow more water to get into and under the pavement before settling in the subsoils.
“If the soils are different underneath, you can get separation just from the soils. And so what happens is, a little pocket develops in those soils and through capillary action, the water comes out of the soil and fills that pocket. And that water that’s in that lens then freezes, and as that freezes, it pushes the soil up, which then pushes the road up and creates those bumps,” said Hardy.
And it’s not just Allouez Avenue that’s become bump after bump after bump. The county says it has received complaints about Shawano Avenue too, as well as Finger Road out by County Highway QQ.
Unfortunately, according to Hardy, there’s no quick fix. Nature simply needs to run its course.
“In the spring, it levels out. There might be a smaller bump, there might be a bigger crack, but you won’t have those big abrupt bumps like that. Which is why we really don’t do anything with them now, because if we took the bump out now, there’d be a dip in the spring, so you can’t win either side,” Hardy explained.
Drivers are encouraged to take it slow on the bumpy roads and keep both hands on the wheel. Passengers should enjoy the ride, because the Zippin Pippin doesn’t open until spring.
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