You would have thought that after putting in the posts, and wiring, they would have installed signal lights at the 10th Ave and Hwy. 45 intersection. It is difficult, to say the least, just to get through that intersection.
I hope that the city/county will put safety first, and finish the job.
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The word from the street department is that was required to install those things at the intersection but it hasn’t been approved to put lights there. Pretty crazy, huh? That is a horrible intersection and someone is going to get killed there someday, perhaps a student on their way to or from the high school.
Boy I couldn’t agree more. I hate to even stop and fill with gas at the gas station there in fear that I can never get back out.
My sister’s house is on tenth and I take the back streets when leaving there just so I don’t have to go through that intersection. Its just rediculous!!
I work at Butch’s SuperValu, so I know exactly what you guys mean. If I have to work right after school, it usually takes 5-10 minutes just to get across, so now I just go to the intersection of 5th and Superior. It would be great to see traffic lights there sometime this spring or summer!
I really have to agree, when going and coming from the high school it is difficult to get throught that intersection. While we are on this subject, they should put a turn signal in at the intersection of 64 and 45. Coming from Walmart. You can’t always see the oncoming traffic if someone is turning from the other way. There is going to be a bad accident there. Although it seems like something like that has to happen before they do anything about it. People need to think outside the box. Hello!!
I agree MLB, but before the city does something like that, they should really look at 2 things. For one, clearing snowbanks at intersections in winter. I’ve seen people start to go into an intersection and then slam on their brakes because of an oncomming car at least 15 times this winter.
Another thing the city should look at is intersections downtown. When 5th Ave is parked full and you try turning onto it from a side street, it’s kind of a hit or miss thing. I’m not sure if stoplights at Edison and 5th would help or not, but I’m sure it would make it easier on drivers.
I believe the State controls whether or not the intersection at 10th and Superior can have stop lights or not. I agree with the rest of the comments. It is about impossible to see around most of the snowbanks. However, this costs money. Obviously we pay enough taxes the way it is. I would suggest just being careful in the mean time.
The word from city hall is that if we install over a certain number of stoplights on Hwy 45 the state will put in a by-pass around Antigo. Having that highway running through town brings a lot of business into the area. I worked at Taco Johns for over a year, and we had people every day who stopped on their way through town because it was on their way. If 45 by-passed Antigo we would lose a substantial amount of bussiness.
I dont really believe antigo will lose alot of revenue from a by pass depending on the area it will cover and how far the by pass will go around us. if people are hungry, need gas or want to go shopping they will still do it here. i get customers that come from all over and its because of the service, not the roads. if they want tacos real fast guess what thats still the only taco joint in the area.
Go to Tomahawk and ask them what the bypass did for their town. I’m sure they’ll tell you how much the bypass killed the town. I used to vacation over there and it is a ghost town compared to what it was before the bypass. That’s all this town needs is another reason not to have people driving through.
well there is a big difference between antigo and tomahawk. we r solely based on fast food and gas stations. i dont think they r. like i said if u r hungry you’ll eat, if u need gas u will fill your tank.
Add the power of suggestion, maybe you’re not so hungary but there’s a Culver’s! Yeah, let’s stop!!
You don’t see Culver’s if you drive around town. You’re right to a point, but I would rather have them drive through.
If there is a bypass … that will be it for Antigo!
sorrry, hungry not hungary-typo
Antigo seems to be surviving only due to the amount of flow-through traffic we still receive.
We have no draw to bring people here to stay so we rely on those who stop while traveling through. Plenty of business are feeling the crunch already and many more will due to the economy. If you cut off our town with a by-pass most will not survive.
The fact is that if they by-pass, it will only hurt this town further.
What is also sad, is that in the future we will be by-passed regardless of the number of street lights we have. Look at the fact that Hwy 45 at one time was the main thru-fare from Wisconsin to Florida. Look at your map to see what’s there now. Take a drive and see how many little towns no longer have Hwy 45 going through there downtown. Stop and ask the business owners there how that detour effected them.
A by-pass is a BAD idea.
There is already plans to by-pass us by way of Hwy 64, it’s only a matter of time before Hwy 45 is planned the same way.
Another accident on the corner on Monday…is it finally time to consider asking the state for stoplights?
What really bites – the state set up that intersection for the express purpose of having stoplights and protected turns. When an intersection is set up in that manner, then ran without, it creates more problems than before.
I’ve heard the state resistance to more stop lights in Antigo is the argument that it will take tourist money away from destinations further north if they stop here even for a while. As for a bypass, I say let it come. The the cops enforce the speed limit, 1 over and they get ticketed. Locals probably won’t be on it much anyway. Then only enforce about 10 over in the city. Word will get around that the bypass is a speed trap and that the safe way is to go through the city.
getoverit…are you sure the state set it up? I believe that was a city expense during the construction as the state did not want the lights put in there at all as it was not warranted in their eyes. The city said, we know we are going to need those lights and as soon as we can get the money we are going to do it, so while this construction is underway, put in the poles, the loops, islands, etc and we will at least not have to dig up a new road when the time to install comes. Check with your alderperson or city administration of course but I think I am correct.
Fed Up – somewhere in the planning a mutual decision was made to create the intersection so it would be set up for stop lights. Because it was a state highway, the State of Wisconsin DOT had to make all final approvals to the plans, since they hired the contractors to perform the work. I am not in any way saying the city did not influence the decision. And in reality whomever was the one who actually put pen to paper to make it happen is irrelevant – other than to say when you set up an intersection to be used with turn signals, lane positions are designated for that. When you then go ahead and abstain from the placement of lights, it does no good. If the intersection was set up for lights, then it should be run with lights. I would have no doubt that WIDOT would object – they do not want to slow traffic down anymore than necessary on a state highway. Lenny – Let’s see the Hwy 64 bypass operational before anybody worries about the 45 bypass. They have been talking about that for 10-15 years and there are no definitive plans yet. I doubt it will happen in the near future.
As I stated in the first post on this blog…Word from the street department is that was required to install those things at the intersection but it hasn’t been approved by the DOT to put lights there. That continues to be a horrible intersection, along with Superior Street and Forrest Avenue, and someone is going to get killed there someday.
Here we come to this town that is losing businesses and will lose more on the south side if people can’t get out at that awful intersection. People do not see the 25 MPH sign or slow down when coming north on 45. It is best to avoid this corner for anyone who lives in this area!!! Winter is awful trying to pull into the intersection due to the high banks. Looks like it will take a law suit before the city looks at stop lights. Me I will just avoid this end of Antigo
I agree once again, does the city realize how many young drivers go this way to school every morning? I have successfully encouraged my teens to go up Fifth Avenue from the east to the west and avoiding the Superior/Tenth nightmare.