Committee endorses Alternative A2 for South Highway 52 (East Wausau Avenue) design; lighting and sidewalk choices deferred

The City of Wausau Infrastructure and Facilities Committee voted 5-0 on June 12 to recommend Alternative A2 as the city’s preferred design for State Highway 52 (East Wausau Avenue) between North Sixth Street and North Eighteenth Street.

Committee members backed A2 after staff and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation presented crash data and multiple design options. Stephanie Christiansen, an EMCS consultant working for the Wisconsin DOT, said the corridor showed a persistent pattern of rear‑end crashes in the segment between North Sixth and North Thirteenth streets: "we're really seeing similar type crash patterns, for rear end crashes, specifically in that segment." The project is scheduled for reconstruction in 2029, with DOT leading design and programming.

Why it matters: The stretch carries school traffic and local trips and has a documented crash pattern. The committee’s recommendation will be forwarded to the DOT as the city’s preferred alternative during environmental and 30% plan development.

What the committee heard and decided - Crash review and funding: In scoping, a five‑year crash review (2017–2021) identified 41 crashes in the corridor; roughly half were rear‑end collisions and about 37% were angle collisions, concentrated between Sixth and Thirteenth streets. Staff said roughly 40% of drivers involved were under age 25 and many crashes occurred…