Project Overview
There were stretches in the 16 miles of WIS 26 in Fond du Lac County, Wis., that were outright treacherous.
In the midst of the redesign of WIS 26, a fatality occurred in a confusing bypass lane that looked like a passing lane near an intersection with Willow Creek Road. Two other fatalities and injuries previously occurred in the same proximity. And there was a highway section where roadway users would drive up a curving hill – “a horizontal curve in a vertical curve.” The obvious safety factors demanded improvement of the rural two-lane highway. In addition, there were stormwater drainage problems. Due to the safety issues, the design deadline was expedited to one year earlier.
Holding experience on a very similar project in the northeast of the county, raSmith improved the substandard geometrics, realigned the horizontal and vertical curves, added right- and left-turn lanes at the intersection and realigned the side road. The stormwater plan did not change existing drainage patterns or runoff amounts while meeting stormwater quality requirements. A five-foot paved shoulder was added for accommodating bicycles and a right-of-way plat was created for the southern portion of the project.
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