TOWN OF HERMAN, WI – About 40 people gathered at the Town of Herman Town Hall Wednesday evening for a presentation on the options that the DOT has for the dangerous Highway 29 / County U Intersection.
Options include a J-Turn or a Median U-Turn or a solution could be to widen the median between the lanes of Highway 29 and lower the hill level to increase visibility of traffic.
No decisions were made but residents like Angela Schultz, the owner of a dairy farm in the area tried to talk the DOT out of constructing one of the turns because it would make farming and industrial traffic difficult.
Some still told the DOT that the interchange is the best solution even though it is costly.
We are looking for the most cost effective solution. The interchange is very expensive,” said DOT Project Manager Tim Hanley.
“I was told last time that it would be considered if something big happened like a bus full of kids getting hit,” said longtime local Al Kuhn. “Is that what we are waiting for, for a bus of kids to get hit?”
Shawano County Sheriff Adam Bieber said the J-Turn or Median U-Turn would eliminate the likelihood of 90 degree fatal crashes.
“The folks I talked to do not want the J-Turn. They would rather it stay mostly the same, have the hill taken out and eliminate the shadow effect with a bigger, wider turnoff. We want to reduce fatal crashes and that is why they are proposing the J-Turn, so don’t hate them for that.”
The DOT released information that showed crashes came from not being able to see over the hill and the shadow effect when a vehicle is attempting to turn right onto County U and blocks the view of the car that driving full speed in the left lane.
Bieber however still thinks that widening the median and turn lanes and increasing visibility would be the best bet.
“If we leave this the way it is, which I hope they do, it does not take away the right angle fatal crashes,” Bieber explained. “We will still have fatal crashes, but right now there is the excuse of not being able to see over that hill. We want to take away that excuse.”
Hanley said the input will be taken into consideration.
“We are here to listen and are here to learn. Our goal is to put the drivers in the best position to make good decisions and make sure people get home at night.”
The next meeting will be an officials meeting early in the year. Another community meeting will be held in March when they hope to have their options narrowed down to the best option. The project would not start until 2021.
