Resident urges action after unexpected driveway installation on State Highway 70

During the public-comment portion of the Sawyer County Traffic Safety Committee meeting, Louise Ladenburg of Township of Ojibwa described a new driveway installed on State Highway 70 near her property and pressed the committee to be aware of safety risks.

“I don't understand how driveways can go in on state highways with no notification of the neighbors, no safety concerns,” Ladenburg said. She said the permit contained mistakes and that the driveway is located on a double-yellow centerline where sight lines are poor because of a downgrade and cresting hill. She added that drivers unfamiliar with the area use local driveways to turn around, and noted a fatal collision last year just east of the new driveway location in which a motorcyclist was killed.

Ladenburg said she had to contact multiple agencies to get callbacks and that Holly Sharp from the regional office had returned one of her calls, but that many of her questions remained unanswered. She said she did not expect answers at the meeting but wanted the committee made aware of the concern and would remain after the meeting to answer questions.

A committee member asked for her fire number and she provided it (7442W), and the meeting moved on to other agenda items. No agency representative provided an immediate response or commitment to an inspection during the public comment segment.