County Supervisors Kiefer and McCarville Propose Funding for North Mendota Parkway Planning

March 10, 2015
Maureen McCarville, 608 576-4056 Tim Kiefer, 608 358-7213 or 608 204-5822
County Board

Dane County Supervisors Maureen McCarville and Tim Kiefer introduced a resolution at the March 5 meeting of the Dane County Board to allocate $50,000 in the 2016 county budget for planning of the North Mendota Parkway.

 

As currently envisioned, the North Mendota Parkway would include both existing roadways and new construction.  From east to west, the route would run from the intersection of Highway 19 and the Interstate along Highway 19 to Highway 113, south on Highway 113, and then west on Highway M. Beginning at Highway M, a newly constructed road would parallel Highway K to the intersection with Highway 12.

 

“The transportation network in northern Dane County has not kept up with the population growth,” said resolution co-author Tim Kiefer, who represents the Waunakee area. “We need an alternative east-west route between the Interstate and Highway 12 to bypass downtown Waunakee and to prevent Main Street in Waunakee from eventually going to four lanes.”

 

The county’s investment of $50,000 is ten percent of the total cost of the $500,000 planning project.  The remaining $450,000 is expected to be approved by the state government as part of the 2015-2017 state budget.  The county’s $50,000 will be contingent on the state financing the rest of the $500,000 project.

 

“This is a great example of county government and state government and from different sides of the aisle working together to get things done,” said resolution co-author Maureen McCarville, who represents the DeForest area.  “The need for the North Mendota Parkway is something that everyone in northern Dane County can agree on and this resolution is another step forward.”

 

If approved, the current resolution is at least the third resolution the County Board will have approved relating to the North Mendota Parkway.  In 2010 the County Board approved a resolution requesting the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to assist with planning and designing the western part of the corridor paralleling Highway K.  In 2012, the County Board approved a resolution that put the board on record opposing four lanes on Main Street in Waunakee, supporting an updated traffic study, and supporting a review of environmental corridors along the route.

 

The $500,000 project will focus on planning and engineering. The project will collect data on current traffic patterns, complete preliminary engineering work, and evaluate possible alternatives.  The planning project is the first step toward getting the North Mendota Parkway approved by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.