Waukesha - After decades of stops and starts, a nearly $51 million project to complete a four-lane bypass on the west side of Waukesha could move forward under a funding breakthrough announced Tuesday.
The 4 1/2 -mile project, aimed at giving motorists in southern Waukesha County easier access to I-94, would link Highway 59 in Waukesha to I-94 along the existing Highway TT. By connecting with Highway 164 south of Waukesha, the bypass would also provide a link between Interstates 43 and 94.
Waukesha County Executive Daniel Vrakas and Waukesha Mayor Larry Nelson said they were optimistic that environmental and engineering difficulties would be overcome after announcing a deal to finally complete the project.
An environmental impact statement, at a cost of $2 million, must be completed before work can begin. The study is projected to be done by 2011, with road work commencing in 2012 and continuing through 2016.
Waukesha Town Board Chairman Robert Tallinger said he had been waiting since 1958 for a fully completed bypass. The state had advanced plans to construct the bypass in the early 1990s, but the project was halted because of a lack of local consensus.
Last year, the project sustained another setback when Vrakas balked at a state demand for 50% of the cost to be covered by local sources.
Weeks of discussions followed, Nelson said, leading to an agreement with the state on funding.
The state is expected to cover $37.5 million of the cost, with another $2.6 million set aside for purchasing real estate. Waukesha County would contribute $8.6 million, and the City of Waukesha would contribute $2 million. Officials could not say how much property would still need to be acquired.
Dennis Shook, a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation, said the state is contributing more money to the project because the county and city have agreed to take over jurisdiction of other state highways, a tradeoff that saves the state money in long-term maintenance costs.
Officials said the project would be paid mostly with borrowed money that is set aside through long-range capital plans. No federal stimulus funding is directly involved.
Wetlands complication
A looming problem is whether the southwest portion of the proposed horseshoe-shaped bypass can slice through an environmentally sensitive area known as the Pebble Creek watershed, which contains trout, pike and panfish and empties into the Fox River.
If the wetland area does not have stable enough soil to support a four-lane road, Vrakas said, the bypass would shift to the north of Pebble Creek, with the road taking on a z-shaped configuration.
Also at issue is how existing homes along Highway TT get vehicle access onto the bypass that likely would have a speed limit of 45 mph. The highway is now a rural, meandering road mostly for homes and subdivisions.
Gary Evans, county engineering services manager, said the access issue would be included as part of the environmental study. He suggested that frontage roads may be needed to resolve the problem.
The project is good news for developer Bryce Styza, who owns a strip mall and apartments along congested Highway TT, north of Summit Ave. Traffic volume reaches up to 16,000 vehicles a day, according to state figures.
"I think it will positively help traffic flow," Styza said.