Sturgeon Bay News: Changes to Egg Harbor Road, Bridge Intersections this Spring

Residents accustomed to the latest changes on Egg Harbor Road and the Maple-Oregon Street bridge area can expect more changes this spring, especially if the city of Sturgeon Bay receives some of the economic stimulus money the state is deciding how to spend.

The city applied for economic stimulus money five different times, according to City Engineer Tony Depies. This time, Depies is holding his breath longer than before that the city will receive some funding. If Sturgeon Bay is granted funding, drivers could see improvements made at the intersection of Egg Harbor Road and Eighth Avenue. However, Depies is keeping a tight lid on exactly what those plans are until after the city receives state money.

Money has already been included in the Egg Harbor Road reconstruction to add landscaping to the center islands this spring. Depies said lane lines will also receive an overhaul.

“Traffic flow will get better when we put the new pavement markings down,” Depies said. “The markings now, we knew they weren’t going to last. We have to get out there soon as possible in the spring to get new markings down.”

In addition to repainting lines, Sturgeon Bay Utilities (SBU) is working with city staff to prepare for the installation of streetlights on Egg Harbor Road. The utility co-op is working towards installing LED lights, which have a longer life expectancy and require less maintenance than standard overhead streetlights. These light poles will be 25 feet high, instead of the standard 35-foot poles. SBU is evaluating two types of directional lighting, in order to limit the light pollution of the night sky. The utility is still figuring out how much the lighting will cost.

The center turn lane added to Egg Harbor Road between Eighth and Fourteenth Avenues has not proven to increase traffic accidents, contrary to criticism voiced last summer when plans to add the lane were discussed. Sturgeon Bay Police Chief Dan Trelka said traffic is flowing more smoothly with fewer accidents since the Egg Harbor Road overhaul.

“The only problem we’re having now, is that with the road so smooth and nice, we’re seeing more speeders,” Trelka said.

That isn’t the case with the intersections and traffic flow on the new Maple-Oregon Street Bridge. Trelka said drivers are getting accustomed to the new route, but periods of heavy traffic when Bay Shipbuilding employees leave work has caused some issues.

“When it comes to accidents, there’s been a shift,” Trelka said. “The number of accidents we had on the Michigan Street bridge corridor have shifted two blocks down to the Maple-Oregon Street corridor. There need to be some adjustments, because there’s not a smooth flow in that corridor.”

A capital improvement plan approved by the city council two weeks ago calls for the installation of new traffic signals with left turn arrows at the intersection of Maple Street and Madison Avenue. According to Depies, adding turn signals would clean up the remaining problems on the west side of the bridge significantly. As for the east side of the bridge, a bit more work is on the horizon.

“We’re changing some of the intersections on Oregon Street to allow traffic to proceed east on Oregon Street with fewer stops,” Depies said. “We’re going to remove the bike lane (intersection of Maple Street and First Avenue), run it along the curb and direct bikes south on First Avenue for the next two years while the Michigan Street bridge is closed. After the bridge construction is completed, we’ll go back to the current paint lines.”

In preparation for summer visitors and the confusion the new bridge traffic configuration will likely cause, the city has set up a meeting with Sturgeon Bay business owners and operators for March 11, in the Council Chambers from 7 – 9 pm.

“We will be working with businesses towards improving the directional signage,” Depies said. “We’re in the process of facilitating meetings with business owners to discuss directional signage to come up with a plan for improving signage. Immediately, we’ll be enhancing the Business Highway 42-57 signage.”