If you're one of the lucky souls with tickets to tonight's Packers game, listen up ... your trip to Lambeau might take a bit longer than expected.
A number of major construction projects in Northeast Wisconsin are underway and could have a serious effect on your travel time.
Work in the various construction zones will be suspended for much of the evening due to safety reasons, but the traffic patterns in the construction zones will remain in place.
"Within our contracts, we require all construction stops five hours before to five hours after game time," says Kris Schuller, Wisconsin Department of Transportation U.S. 41 project manager.
That of course doesn't mean that it will be completely smooth sailing between Milwaukee and Green Bay.
"Everything is open with two lanes of traffic in each direction," Schuller says. "There are no closures during time period except for some existing interchange closures which remain in place."
Sixteen miles of U.S. 41 in Winnebago County, from WIS 26 to Breezewood Lane, have restricted shoulders and 11-foot travel lanes and drivers will find similar conditions along a 10-mile segment of the freeway in Brown County.
"Traffic gets very bunched in those 11-foot lanes," Schuller says. "If we get a flat or an accident in that stretch, where there are restricted shoulder areas, traffic backs up immediately for miles. More than anything, that's what people have to be aware of.
"There is a lot of construction, a lot of barriers, a lot barrels. Driving too slowly can cause backups, too. When you're driving through construction zones, there are a lot of things along the way make traffic slow down."
For those coming from the west, WIS 172, a major route running approximately east-west between U.S. 41 and I-94, is closed from the WIS 54/172 intersection to one mile west of the WIS 172/County GE intersection. Eastbound WIS 172 traffic will be detoured from the intersection on WIS 54 eastbound to County GE, southbound to WIS 172, and then eastbound.
Throughout the construction zones, Freeway Service Teams will be patrolling the roadways to assist with crashes, disabled vehicles and other minor incidents.
Taking I-43 north from Milwaukee should be a relative breeze, however. Emlynn Grisar of WisDOT says that most projects along the freeway in Southeast Wisconsin – replacement of the Highland Drive bridge and a guardrail beam replacement effort in Ozaukee County, along with annual pavement replacement – will not close lanes on dates the Packers play, making the drive a little more bearable.
"We monitor traffic-generating events pretty closely and work to avoid, or push back, closures to avoid impacts," Grisar says.
However, traffic is expected to increase significantly along both corridors, so fans are encouraged to be alert and take their time. They can call WisDOT's travel information hotline by dialing 511 from any phone or visiting 511wi.org.
The Wisconsin State Patrol, along with county sheriff's deputies and other local law enforcement agencies will be patrolling both corridors throughout the day and evening.
Lieutenant Nick Scorcio urges drivers to be alert and attentive while driving to or from the game.
"Watch that following distance," Scorcio says. "Following too close is a big contributing factor in many crashes because you don't leave enough space to take evasive actions."
He also reminds fans to watch their speeds, wear their safety belts and more than anything, pick a designated driver.
"People like to have a few beers during the game and that's fine, but don't drive," he says. "If you feel buzzed, you're impaired. It's going to effect your ability to drive and if you contribute to or cause a crash, and you have alcohol in your system, you could face some pretty serious criminal charges.
"If you're a driver, your job is to get there and back safely. Pay attention to the road, get that designated driver, err on the side of caution and enjoy the game and day."
