In a four-year span, there were 109 car crashes on Highway 8 between Crandon and Laona, according to a highway study.
While none of those crashes between 2005 and 2009 were fatal, about a third of them did result in injuries.
“We've had a lot of close calls,” said Forest County Potawatomi Chairman Brooks Boyd Sr.
For more than a decade, Forest County Potawatomi Community leaders have pushed to make the corridor safer for drivers, pedestrians, and ATV/UTV riders.
One of the major issues was visibility because of hills.
“The vehicles coming out of the residential neighborhood, you know, you couldn't see outside of that hill,” said Boyd Sr.
Last week, they got to celebrate accomplishing the goal of making the traffic corridor safer.
The section of Highway that runs through a portion of the Forest County Potawatomi Reservation east of Crandon has gone through a major transformation.
More than 300,000 cubic meters of dirt was moved to improve the grade and visibility.
There are also now separate ATV/UTV and walking/biking paths along the highway.
One of the major changes workers and leaders were excited to show off was the new, two- compartment tunnel that crosses under Highway 8 so those riders, bikers, and walkers have a safe crossing.
The inside of the tunnel has images and text to represent the different Potawatomi clans. The walls on either side of the tunnel opening depict trees and a flower design.
“We are a Woodland Algonquin Tribe. We wanted to incorporate those designs into the designs of the tunnel,” said Boyd Sr. “You'll see some of the floral designs all scattered and integrated into the design, which is a representation of who we are as Potawatomi people.”
The tunnel is the favorite part of the entire project for Michelle Berdan, a planner for the Tribe’s capital projects division.
“This all came to fruition, because of the community,” said Berdan. “The community artwork and installation here just really gives you that sense of place, letting you know that you're in the Forest County Potawatomi Community.”
While safety was the major motivation for this project, health and wellness was another factor.
The paths along the highway currently run from Otter Creek to Fire Keeper Road. The next phase of the project, scheduled for next year, will continue the pathway to Crandon.
“I think we're pretty happy about that aspect, knowing that it's going to motivate the community to get out and just get some exercise,” said Boyd Sr.
Tribal leaders, Wisconsin DOT representatives, Governor Tony Evers, and the Forest County Board Chairman all spoke at the ribbon cutting ceremony.
All highlighted the inter-government cooperation from the federal to local level that made the project possible.
“This highway is now safer, smarter, and better for everyone who calls Forest County home or comes to experience its beauty,” said Board Chairman Ron Skallerud. “As this community and all of our county, townships, and our two tribal nations come together, what we can accomplish can be a living example to the rest of Wisconsin.”
The project cost more than $18 million. Funding included a combination of federal and state dollars as well as that from the Forest County Potawatomi Community.
This section of Highway 8 reopened to traffic on Saturday. The Wisconsin DOT is asking drivers to proceed with caution as work will still be ongoing through early November.
