By Kevin Boneske
Staff Writer
ASHWAUBENON – The village board has gone on record reaffirming its support for an alternative calling for a new bridge across the Fox River in south De Pere.
Community Development Director Aaron Schuette said the proposed bridge has gotten “new life” as a result of the Interstate 41 expansion project between Scheuring Road and the north side Appleton, where the highway will be expanded from four to six lanes.
“As part of that project, there is basically a section (which) allows for an interchange to be built along with this project for the southern bridge (across the Fox River),” he said. “The request from the consultants is for those municipalities that had previously authorized a resolution or identified a letter of support for a chosen alternative to basically reaffirm that as part of the new environmental impact statement, or the Tier One environmental impact statement that’s being prepared currently.”
The board, which initially approved a resolution in 2016, backed a new resolution favoring a new Fox River bridge between Rockland Road and Red Maple/Southbridge roads, connecting arterial street system and full-access interchange at Interstate 41.
The resolution states the new bridge and connecting arterial street system south of downtown De Pere, along with the interchange at Interstate 41, “will help to minimize traffic congestion and allow the state and its local partners to avoid the high cost of expanding the reconstructed Claude Allouez Bridge as well as State Highway 57/32 south of downtown De Pere.”