Politics & Government

Views on Proposed West Waukesha Bypass Study Vary

Cost and environmental concerns on people's mind during Thursday's informational meeting.

Town residents Sheila Boyd and Allen Boyd took a look Thursday night at the proposed West Waukesha Bypass options but despite being married, they would each prefer a different alternative.

“We never agree on anything,” said Sheila Boyd with a laugh.

Sheila Boyd said she would prefer the bypass to be a four-lane road going down Sunset Drive, but Allen Boyd liked the Pebble Creek option better.

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“We would like to see a decision made soon,” Sheila Boyd said.

The Sunset Drive option would include improvements to Sunset between highways TT and X and using X to connect with Highway 59, according to an informational document.

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“Something needs to be done with Sunset Drive,” Boyd said. “Sunset is a very dangerous road right now. Even though it is only a two lane, it is very dangerous. … I just think it is better.”

The document states that the Pebble Creek corridor would consist of building a new roadway through the corridor, which will have an impact on the environment, including the wetlands and on threatened and endangered species, the document states.

“To jog back into town and jog back out don’t make no sense,” Allen Boyd said.

The West Waukesha Bypass study is being completed to review possible options to improve the transportation issues between Highway 59 and Interstate 94.

The West Waukesha Bypass, which has been talked about for about 60 years, is also expected to increase safety in that area of the county. The project is projected to cost between $46 million and $56 million, depending on what alternative is selected.

The project would be paid for through a combination of city, county and state taxes.

Town of Waukesha resident Rick Rollo said the project should have been done decades earlier. Rollo said because it wasn’t completed earlier, he doesn’t view it as a bypass but rather a road improvement project.

“In my opinion, it is no longer viable,” he said. “… If you truly want to build a bypass, you have to go further west.”

And Rollo isn’t happy about the price tag.

“Everybody talks and talks and talks and talks and talks and talks about spending,” Rollo said. “At some point somebody has got to say stop. Enough is enough.”

Rollo’s wife, Debby Rollo, said she thinks the project should utilize the existing roads, because of the environmental concerns. She wants to keep the deer, hawks, owls, turkeys and other animals that are in the area protected.

“It will turn county to a concrete mess and sprawl,” said Debby Rollo about building a new road.

The alternatives were presented Thursday night and people responded with their comments on the projects. A draft environmental impact statement is scheduled to be released this summer.

If all approvals move forward, construction could begin in 2013.


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