Construction update: WIS 15 between US 45 and County T will be CLOSED starting Monday, April 1, 2024, in the town of Hortonia, Outagamie County. The closure is for reconstruction and expansion of the segment to a four-lane divided highway. This work is the final segment of the WIS 15 project from New London to Greenville, which started in 2021.

Traffic impacts

• • April 1 to early November 2024:  WIS 15 between US 45 and County T will be closed to through traffic.  Access to residences and business will be maintained.

Detour

• • US 45 to County TT to County T.

Project location

WIS 15, US 45 to Lily of the Valley Dr., in New London, Hortonville and Greenville, in Outagamie County.

• View location in pdf

Project overview

WIS 15 is a busy commuter route between New London and Fox Cities area. This project will increase safety, enhance economic development and lower transportation costs in the region by expanding 11 miles of WIS 15 to a 4-lane divided highway bypassing village of Hortonville.

• WisDOT studied WIS 15 to determine the best way to provide additional roadway capacity and improve operational efficiency and traffic safety. Roundabouts are planned at the two locations, one on each side of Hortonville, where proposed bypass meets existing WIS 15.
  • Capacity must be added to serve existing and forecasted traffic volumes. Heavy congestion is expected by 2025 if WIS 15 is not expanded.
  • WIS 15 to be expanded to 4-lane divided highway.
  • At-grade intersections to be constructed at the two points where the proposed bypass meets existing WIS 15.
• WisDOT evaluated several corridor alternatives and selected the preferred corridor June 2007.
• Project cost estimated at $134.7 million.

Construction staging and traffic impacts

Construction will be conducted through different construction contracts. Overall construction began in mid-June 2021 and will extend to late 2024. Construction project contract segments are listed below.

• West Segment Construction: The western segment from US 45 to County T/Givens Road will begin in April 2024 and is expected to be complete in late 2024.
  • This segment of WIS 15 will be closed during construction and a detour will be established that follows County T to County TT to US 45.
    • Detour map
    • Project limits
  • West segment construction project contact:
    • Ken Baierl, phone: 920-366-2272, Email Kenneth.Baierl@dot.wi.gov.
    • Construction project field house: 204 W Main St., Hortonville
• Bypass Construction (completed): Work on the bypass segment (ID 1146-75-71/77) that passes along the north side of Hortonville started in June 2021 and was completed in November 2023.
•  East Segment Construction (completed): Work on the eastern segment from County JJ – Lily of the Valley Drive (ID1146-75-72) will begin in April 2022 and was completed in November 2023.

• West Roundabout Construction (completed): Work on the roundabout west of Hortonville (ID 1146-75-76) began in May 2023 and was completed in November 2023.
  • The bypass and eastern segments of WIS 15 were opened to traffic in November 2023. There is a temporary two to four lane transition just west of the WIS 15 / County T roundabout. This transition will be removed with the 2024 project and WIS 15 will be built to four lanes all the way to US 45.

 

 

During all WIS 15 construction, business, local resident, and emergency access will be maintained along the corridor.

Project Benefits

This segment of WIS 15 is an important regional route that connects the Appleton metropolitan area with Greenville, Hortonville, New London, and other local communities. Traffic forecasts along the corridor exceed the threshold for a 4-lane facility and analysis shows that without an expansion, WIS 15 has a failing level of service by 2040. In addition, heavy regional traffic currently conflicts with local traffic through the village of Hortonville. Studies show 75% of eastbound traffic and 52% of westbound traffic have destinations beyond Hortonville. A WIS 15 bypass of Hortonville is needed to separate the regional and local traffic. Expansion of existing WIS 15 through the village is not an option due to narrow corridor and severe business/property impacts. Safety is a major concern along the corridor as crash data shows the WIS 15 segments east and west of Hortonville both have a crash rate higher than the statewide average for a rural 2-lane highway. Roughly 300 existing access points along WIS 15 and growing traffic volumes contribute to increasing conflicts along the corridor.

Temporary Business Signing

Temporary business signing may be placed during the detoured portion of the project by filling out a WisDOT business signing permit. All temporary business signing needs approval via the permit before placement to ensure it is in a safe location and does not pose a visual distraction or traffic hazard. The temporary business signing permit is free. Costs associated with creating the temporary sign are the responsibility of the business.

Please keep the following items in mind regarding business signing:

• ​Temporary business signing cannot be placed on traffic control devices or state signs. Business signs attached to these devices will be removed.
• It is encouraged that businesses team up to have multiple businesses advertised on one sign structure versus several individual signs. This makes it easier for travelers to identify signs and find their destination.
• Temporary Business Sign permits are available as a fillable-form WORD download (below) or you can request one from WisDOT Project Manager Jesse Hansen, P.E. at (920) 492-5630 or email at Jesse.Hansen@dot.wi.gov.
  • Download Temporary Business Permit (with instructions)

Please email the completed permit to Jesse Hansen, or if you prefer to mail the completed form, please address to: Jesse Hansen, WisDOT NE Region, 944 Vanderperren Way, Green Bay, WI 54304.

In This Together Business Resource

WisDOT recognizes businesses located in work zones have special needs. While signing and other marketing/advertising during the construction is up to the business, WisDOT has business resources available through its “In This Together” website to assist businesses with planning for construction closures and to minimize the impact of construction. For more information, please visit WisDOT’s In This Together website at https://wisconsindot.gov/Together.

WisDOT Project Contact

Jesse Hansen, P.E., Project Manager
jesse.hansen@dot.wi.gov
Office – (920) 492-5630
Cell – (920) 362-6095
WisDOT Northeast Region
944 Vanderperren Way
Green Bay, WI 54304