The 3-way stop installed at the intersection of State Hwy 113 and County Hwy P just outside of the village limits is an intermediate step. The eventual solution is most likely to be a “3-legged roundabout”.
Dangerous Intersection
The Wisconsin Dept of Transportation lists 36 crashes at the intersection between July of 2014 and December of 2018. Using the KABCO1K = fatal crash, A = incapacitating injury, B = non-incapacitating injury, C = possible injury, O = property damage only scale, and citing 2.47 crashes per million cars, the DOT determined the intersection was dangerous and began investigating solutions. Of those 36 crashes, 4 are listed as A (incapacitating injury), and 2 were fatal.
As a temporary measure, a 3-way stop was installed early this summer, with additional signage and flashing red lights.
5 Options
Ryan Mayer, a Professional Engineer with the DOT did the preliminary study of the area and came up with 5 possible options (click to enlarge):
The options presented were:
- 3-legged signal: Similar to what currently exists, except with full traffic signals. This would also entail moving the intersection of P and V further south.
- 4-legged signal: A traditional 4-way intersection, moved behind the Great Dane storage buildings, to where P and V currently intersect.
- 3-legged roundabout: A roundabout placed at the location of the current intersection.
- 4-legged roundabout: A roundabout placed at the current intersection of P and V
- 4-legged roundabout with a bypass: The same as option 4, with an added lane allowing traffic traveling from Dane to Lodi to bypass the roundabout.
A final decision has not been made, but Mr. Mayer indicated that the DOT is “leaning towards” the 3-legged roundabout. This option would, according to Mr. Mayer, allow for the best flow of traffic, and require the least disruption to surrounding farm land and businesses. While the 3-legged traffic signal would require no additional land, it’s deemed unsuitable due to the high volume of traffic from both P and 113.
Roundabout Issues
Roundabouts are not without their own issues. Depending on the design (especially single-lane vs. two-lane), roundabouts can cause confusion as to right-of way; can slow traffic during peak times, causing backups; and can be more difficult to navigate in bad weather.
A 2016 study of roundabouts in Madison (and supported by studies done elsewhere) indicates that roundabouts increase the number of collisions (averaging 14 per year compared to 11 for intersections). Those collisions are less severe, however.
Plans for the project have not been finalized, and there will be additional public information meetings and opportunities for public input.
Editor-in-Chief
A Lodi native, Blaze attended the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay where he graduated with a degree in theatre technology & design. He has traveled extensively throughout the United States and the world–including a 6-year stint in China. He has been a teacher, a writer, a designer, and is the founder of the Redleaf Consulting Group.
Footnotes
| ↑1 | K = fatal crash, A = incapacitating injury, B = non-incapacitating injury, C = possible injury, O = property damage only |
|---|
Be First to Comment