OMRO, Wis. (WFRV) – A major Highway 21 construction project between Omro and Oshkosh is drawing concerns from residents worried about how traffic changes on the Fox River bridge could impact daily life in the city.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation project includes new roundabouts and other safety improvements at County Trunk FF, Raymore Road, Sand Pit Road, and Leonard Point Road.
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But for many people in Omro, the biggest concern is the bridge.
Fox River Bridge, Omro
For residents living on the west side of the Fox River, Highway 21 is the only direct route across town. During stage three of construction, traffic across the bridge area will be limited to one-way westbound traffic between the Fox River bridge and Madison Avenue.
Shirley Gorschels, who has lived just across the bridge for more than 40 years, said the changes could create major inconveniences for residents.
“My next-door neighbor works on the other side of the bridge, and it takes her five minutes to get to work, and now if she goes that way, it takes her 40 minutes,” Gorschels said.
She also worries about older residents who may struggle with longer detours for everyday errands.
“I’m just worried about older people maybe just going somewhere else to get the prescriptions or go to the store for them to travel,” she said.
Some residents suggested installing temporary traffic lights on the bridge rather than limiting traffic to one direction.
“Somebody did mention and asked the state if they heard of a temporary light to be put up and take turns coming across the bridge, well, that would make sense, and to me, that would be doable,” Gorschels said.
Bill Bertrand, Wisconsin DOT project manager for the Highway 21 project, said temporary signals were considered but could have caused long delays.
“Temporary signals would be feasible. You may be looking at up to about a ten-minute delay for one direction of traffic waiting for the signals to activate for the opposite direction,” Bertrand said.
Bertrand said the state determined one-way traffic was the safest option during construction.
“One-way traffic, for as short a duration as possible, is really the safest way to construct that,” he said.
DOT officials say the overall project aims to improve safety along the corridor.
“Those five intersections have had some safety issues with crashes,” Bertrand said. “The improvements that we’re constructing this year will be a significant improvement along the overall corridor from a safety standpoint.”
Gorschels said she believes traffic issues in the area are not as severe as they once were.
“All the years I’ve lived here, I think in the last few years it’s not as bad as it used to be,” she said.
After concerns from residents and local officials, DOT says it reduced the timeline for the most disruptive part of construction from 39 days down to about 20 days.
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Bertrand also tells Local 5 that the project is funded through a mix of federal and state funding.
The Highway 21 project began in April and is expected to continue through the fall.
