Drive 55

Today’s commute may be a bit slower with road construction along the Highway 41 Corridor, but before long the delays will be but a memory in the rear-view mirror.

“Everyone understands that the short-term pain is worth the long-term gain,” says George Brown, manager in workplace solutions for DePere-based Humana. For Brown and the nearly 3,000 Humana employees in the Green Bay area, the willingness of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to visit sites and work with associates has made the transition easier.

“Our associates drive to this location from not only the Valley, but from Manitowoc and from the north so the project does affect a lot of people,” says Brown. “My compliments to the DOT.”
The largest road construction project in the history of Northeast Wisconsin involves 31 miles of highway with 17 miles located in Winnebago County and 14 miles in Brown County.

“I think generally speaking businesses are very appreciative that we are upgrading the facility,” says Will Dorsey, the DOT’s Northeast Wisconsin Regional Director. “We are absolutely dedicating the time, effort and money to keep the project on track.”

While the Winnebago County portion of the project will not be officially completed until 2014, the brunt of the construction will occur within the next year. “This will be the most significant year for Winnebago County,” Dorsey says.

For those commuting to Brown County, much of the construction is just beginning to get started and set to continue through 2017.

With the U.S. 41 project on track, Gov. Scott Walker, transportation officials and business leaders are aiming to get the 142-mile stretch from Green Bay to Milwaukee designated as a U.S. Interstate by the year 2015.

A US Interstate designation becomes a unique branding opportunity for businesses.
“Following the I-43 conversion to an Interstate, we saw retail businesses increase by 19 percent and property values in the Milwaukee-market along the highway increase by 17 percent,” Dorsey says.
The blue lines on the map denoting an interstate are crucial, Dorsey says.

“When people look at a map, they look at how to get goods and services to and from a location and these routes are seen as a very positive means for transportation,” he says. “This is very important for the economy of the state.”