News: Neillsville - Highway 10 by-pass (1981)

Contact: Kathleen E. Englebretson
Email: kathy@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Harnisch, Jackson, Clark

---Source: Marshfield News-Herald (8 January 1981)

NEILLSVILLE - "In no way is a by-pass of Highway 10 a likelihood in this decade."

Those were the words of Lowell Jackson, Madison, secretary of the State Department of Transportation, Wednesday noon when he spoke to a group of interested persons at Neillsville.

The secretary met, at the request of Senator Tom Harnisch, D-Neillsville, to discuss the traffic problem in the downtown section of Neillsville and discuss the highway program and railroad situation in general.

Meeting with Jackson were the mayor and city council, police chief, director of the public works, members of the sheriff's department, highway commissioner, representatives of local feed mills and news media.

Jackson told the group that the once tentatively planned bypass of Highway 10 remains at the end of a "long line of projects," most with higher priorities. And he added that with a bypass running through the wetland west of the city there would be an environmental situation as well.

But he said the real problem is cost. Jackson said the city would have to "change the present condition." He said his own advice is to "move to solve the problem near the present location," because it "can't be put ahead of projects with higher priorities."

A few weeks ago, Tom Clark, Eau Claire, from the office of District 6 of the highway department, and who was also at the Wednesday meeting, had met with the mayor and police chief with what he called "ideas: on methods to relieve the traffic congestion at the corner of Fifth and Hewett streets.

Those ideas ranged all the way from 0ne-way streets within the immediate area. to the elimination of the First National Bank in order to make a separate right turn lane.

Another suggestion is a possible separate truck, or one way traffic using Hewett Street and Grand Avenue as the pair.

The subject is expected to be a matter to come before the council in the not too distant future.

The secretary also mentioned that there was a possibility of the purchase of the Chicago and Northwestern railroad right of way by the Department of Natural Resources and that the trestle, just west of the city on Highway 10, would be a matter of concern since the abutments are too close to the highway.

Proposed projects ahead in a six-year program include a bridge over Cunningham Creek on Highway 73 south of here. However the relocation of the curves in that area appear to be a problem. There's also a proposal to resurface Highway 10 from the west county line east 10 miles, and also work on Highway 73.