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Committee reviews safety options for Sunset Drive and Guthrie Road after series of serious crashes; no funding approved
Summary
Engineering presented a tiered plan of short- and long-term safety improvements after staff found 13 crashes (including one fatality) at Sunset Drive and Guthrie Road over five years. The committee directed staff to seek funding and return with options; no action was taken tonight.
The Waukesha City Building & Grounds Committee reviewed engineering recommendations on June 2 for safety improvements at the intersection of Sunset Drive and Guthrie Road after staff reported 13 crashes there from 2020 through April 2025, including one fatality and multiple injury crashes.
Alex, city engineering staff, told the committee that of the 13 crashes, 11 were right-angle collisions and at least seven involved injuries; one December crash was fatal and flagged as alcohol related. “It appears to just be people that aren't yielding, that aren't stopping their driving through the intersection eastbound and colliding with north and southbound vehicles,” Alex said.
Staff presented tiered short-term options that focus on visibility and driver awareness: overhead-mounted flashing LED stop signs ($5,000–$7,000 per mast-arm assembly with LED signs) and pavement-marking and striping changes to narrow the feel of the roadway. A longer-term option would be a compact roundabout; staff estimated a compact roundabout would typically cost about $750,000, depending on right-of-way and storm-sewer impacts.
Committee members said the intersection is near a county park in the city and suggested asking Waukesha County to contribute to funding. Alder Wautesca said she has lived nearby and recounted that the December crash killed a 17-year-old girl and her dog; she urged more permanent fixes. “It is a terrible intersection,” she said.
No formal motion to fund improvements was taken. Committee Chair and members agreed staff should first check whether internal project savings or special-project dollars exist and inquire with the county about cost-sharing; staff also were asked to secure or shore up temporary signs already in place until a decision is made. Greg, staff, said the committee could refer a funding request to the Finance Committee if an internal source is not available.
The committee did not authorize construction work or budget amendments at the meeting. Members asked staff to return to the next Building & Grounds meeting with funding options and a recommended short-term package if money can be located.
