Governor Tony Evers (D) and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation recently hosted a ceremony with local community to celebrate the completion of improvements to Wisconsin Highway 50 in Kenosha County.
[Above photo by Wisconsin DOT]
Work began in early 2021 to reconstruct four miles of that highway between 117th Avenue in Pleasant Prairie and 43rd Avenue in Kenosha. The finished project improves access to adjacent hospitals, eases traffic flow in a dense commercial shopping area, and enhances regional mobility in an active freight corridor.
The two-year $88 million project was completed this summer. In addition to the reconstruction and expansion work, project improvements included creating safer turning movements to access homes and businesses, building more sidewalk and pedestrian accommodations to help serve all modes of transportation, and updating the traffic signals to improve driver safety and understanding.
“Highway 50 serves as a critical east-west connector route in the southeast corner of our state, and these improvements are giving folks a safer, more reliable route to their destination,” said Gov. Evers in a statement.
“This highway project was one of the largest urban roadway reconstruction projects Wisconsin DOT has undertaken in the last 23 years,” he noted. “It’s an investment that will pay dividends long into the future, strengthening our state’s economy and modernizing the corridor to spur further growth in Kenosha, Pleasant Prairie, and surrounding communities.”
“The WIS 50 project enhances safety and access to the homes and businesses along this heavily relied upon highway,” added Wisconsin DOT Secretary Craig Thompson.
“The partnerships and collaboration across communities, businesses, and all levels of government helped deliver a successful project,” he pointed out. “We can all be proud of these improvements and the positive impact for Kenosha County and the state for years to come.”