A few state and local officials have started to push for an expansion of a narrow stretch of Interstate 41 between Appleton and Green Bay in an effort to ease congestion and lower the number of crashes.
State Rep. Dave Murphy, a Republican from Greenville, said he has personally noticed issues with traffic on I-41 in the Fox Cities. “It’s very dangerous there and I thought ‘boy, this is really a fatal accident waiting to happen,’” he said.
The stretch of I-41 from Breezewood Lane to the north junction of State 441 has averaged nearly 470 crashes a year in the last five years, according to the state Department of Transportation.
The condition of the road itself, though, is comparable to other highways in the region. The pavement rating between State 15 and State 441 is 79 out of 100. The state typically does not look to repair pavement until the rating gets to 70 or lower.
Murphy said he has talked with Gov. Scott Walker about the possibility of adding the project to a future state budget. The project needs to be enumerated in a state budget before any other work can be done. “I feel like we’re going to try to push forward,” Murphy said.