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Traffic commission keeps passing zone on River Road at Rusco Drive after consultant review
Summary
A traffic engineering review found no sight-distance or crash-pattern basis to mark a no-passing zone at River Road and Rusco Drive; the commission voted to leave pavement markings unchanged while noting future development and a planned roundabout could alter controls.
West Bend’s Traffic Safety Commission on Sept. 29 voted to maintain existing passing pavement markings on River Road at Rusco Drive after a traffic consultant found no engineering justification to add a no-passing zone.
Kevin Wayner, a traffic operations engineer with KL Engineering, presented an evaluation that included site observations, references to the Wisconsin Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices and regional practice manuals, crash-history review and traffic counts. He reported there are no vertical or horizontal curves that limit sight distance at the intersection, that Rusco Drive carries about 1,300 vehicles per day (about 130 vehicles in peak hour), and that five non-deer-related crashes occurred at the location from 2020–2024 — none matching the pattern described by the complainant.
Wayner said the state statutes cited (Transcript: 346.18 and 346.46) allow passing at uncontrolled intersections unless specific controls are present and that state and regional manuals generally reserve no-passing markings for major intersections with bypass or auxiliary lanes, which this intersection lacks. On that basis KL Engineering recommended no change to the passing zone.
Alderman Smith moved to leave the marking as is; Mr. Ganto seconded the motion. Commissioners approved the recommendation by voice vote.
Commissioners noted the area is undergoing development and that a roundabout is planned at or near the intersection as part of future build-out; they said the long-term control scheme could change as development proceeds. The commission’s formal decision preserves the current pavement markings but keeps the item under review as the corridor evolves.
