APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Driving on a stretch of I-41 in Outagamie County could soon be brought down a peg.
The county’s highway department is moving forward with a proposal to lower the speed limit between Grand Chute and De Pere.
Drivers may have to slow down from 70 mph to 55 mph on 41 from Highway 15 in Grand Chute, to Scheuring Road near De Pere.
“I can understand lowering the speed limit from 70, but I’m not quite sure 55 is the right number.”
Motorist Dennis Hultgren tells Fox 11 there should be a happy medium.
“I think 60 or 65 would be better, but I think 55 is a little slow going through town.”
The Outagamie County Highway, Recycling and Solid Waste Committee met Monday to discuss the reduction.
Committee chairman Donald DeGroot tells FOX 11 all members agreed to approve the drafting of a joint resolution to reduce the speed limit.
“There will be some people that are going to object to it, there’s no question. However, it’s our responsibility to make that highway as safe as we possibly can.”
The Grand Chute Police Department compiled activity data on a highly traveled portion of the highway within Grand Chute and Appleton for the committee.
In the past two years, there have been about 900 accidents, close to 1,000 reckless drivers and nearly 700 traffic stops.
“Not only is the highway unsafe with the speed limit, but it’s very expensive, because of the fact that you have to respond to all those incidents,” DeGroot said.
Once the proposal is written, it will be up to the county board to pass it, and send the request to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
WisDOT region communication manager Mark Kantola…
“We have a department here that focuses on speed limits, then they do a traffic speed study, which involves gathering the data from the portion that they either want to be raised or lowered. We look at that data, and we look at what’s the most reasonable speed out there for a vehicle to travel.”
County board officials could decide on whether to pass the proposal at their next meeting later this month.
That portion of the highway Outagamie County wants lowered will also cross into Brown County.
Officials are hoping they will get Brown County’s cooperation in dropping the speed.
