Brian Roebke photo
In a press conference at Foth in De Pere, Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach noted last week the county’s goal has long been to construct a second bridge span crossing the Fox River near De Pere in order to provide safe and efficient transportation for businesses and residents in Brown County.
Brown County,
De Pere, Lawrence put money aside in 2021 for interchange
connectors
Brown County, along with the City of De Pere and the Town of Lawrence, announced last week they are each budgeting for the cost of engineering and design work for the roads connecting to the new interchange on Interstate 41, as part of their support for the Southern Bridge Corridor Project.
“For 30 years, the goal has been to construct a second bridge span crossing the Fox River near De Pere in order to provide safe and efficient transportation for businesses and residents in Brown County,” said Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach. “This is a major step in that direction in order to improve infrastructure and economic development in Southern Brown County and demonstrates the fiscal support that our local partners are willing to provide to make this happen.”
In his 2021 Executive Budget Proposal, Brown County will budget $600,000, or 50 percent of the cost of that engineering and design work, if the Record of Decision from the Federal High-way Administration approves of the preferred location of the Southern Bridge Arterial corridor.
That decision is expected to be made by the end of the month. The remaining half of the costs for engineering and design work will be provided by the City of De Pere and the Town of Ledgeview from their respective 2021 budgets.
“By including funding in their budget for connector roads to the interchange, Brown County, the City of De Pere and Town of Lawrence made an important commitment to getting the pro-ject started,” said Craig Thompson, Wisconsin Department of Trans-portation Secretary.
“WisDOT will continue to work closely with you on getting the necessary approvals done and we look forward to the day you can break ground on your Southern Bridge Connector project.”
If approved, the Southern Bridge Corridor Project will involve constructing a new Fox River bridge in the City of De Pere and a divided four-lane arterial street corridor between the intersection of County Highways GV and X in the Town of Ledgeview, and between the intersection of County Highways EB and F in the Town of Lawrence.
This project will significantly reduce shipping costs by providing a direct link to major highways, minimize congestion-related safety problems and allow the state and its local partners to avoid the high cost of expanding the Claude Allouez (State Highway 32) Bridge, as well as State Highway 57 south of downtown De Pere, by providing another Fox River crossing option in this rapidly developing area.