State information on crash data for Vilas County was presented to the county Traffic Safety
Committee showing a decrease in deer crashes and a decrease in fatal crashes, along with a summary of the planned road reconstruction for next year.
Total crashes in Vilas County up to Nov. 1 this year were 394 with 93 having injuries and with one fatality. Last year by this date there were five fatalities. Deer only crashes so far this year were 77 compared to 84 last year.
State fatalities so far this year stood at 525 which was an increase of 6.7% from the 492 last year.
Capt. Gerard Ritter of the Vilas County Sheriff’s department asked about a flashing stop sign at the intersection of Highway 51 and Highway H due to the number of accidents at that location. He felt it could be solar powered but was told there were only two statewide and they were on multi-lane highways, not two lane locations.
Asked if there was any past legislation requiring all traffic vehicles to operate with headlights operating 24 hours a day, no one could recall such legislation ever being proposed.
2021 planned construction
Wis. DOT member Tony Kemnitz distributed a regional construction update anticipated for 2021. The major resurfacing will be on Highway 70 from Highway 45 east to Divide Road, a distance of 13 miles.
It will provide a new asphalt surface and shoulders will be regraded with center line rumble strips and edge line pavement markings.
In addition, Highway 51 will be surfaced from Woodland Drive to Highway M, about three miles in length. The project will remove the top asphalt and place a new asphalt mat with center line rumble strips. The project bid letting is anticipated next May.
Military Road, FS2178, will undergo pavement reconditioning from Highway 70 south to the Oneida
County line. Intersections will be upgraded and the finished roadway will provide ten foot travel lanes with four-foot shoulders.
