APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) – Northeast Wisconsin drivers will get their first chance to navigate a diverging diamond interchange this weekend.
The state Department of Transportation says the newly reconfigured interchange between Oneida Street and Hwy. 10/441 in Appleton will open Saturday morning.
It had been closed since August.
State Department of Transportation Project Manager Kurt Peters says the new interchange design will help drivers move more efficiently onto Hwy. 10/441, as they will no longer have to wait to turn left onto the highway.
“You follow the pavement markings and follow the signs and when the light is green you go and when it is red you stop, it’s pretty simple.”
While it looks confusing, DOT Project Manager Kurt Peters says it will be very useful once drivers learn how to drive it.
The DOT says during morning rush hour, more than 825 vehicles per hour turn left from northbound Oneida Street to westbound 10/441.
“Those are the areas where crashes can occur and with this layout, it reduces the area of the contact points from 26 to 14.”
Peters says they will be offering videos to help people navigate through safely.
“We are going to take a lot of drive-through go-pro or drone videos and post them to our facebook page,” Peters said.
The opening of the interchange means the entire stretch of Oneida Street from downtown Appleton to Lake Winnebago will be fully open after two years of construction.
Oneida Street north of the interchange opened on Wednesday.
For WisDot information click here.
