‘Very worried’: Businesses concerned after County N Interchange closed for construction in Little Chute
LITTLE CHUTE, Wis. (WFRV) – Thursday was the first day of Interstate 41’s County N Interchange being closed, and it did not take business owners long to realize that there would be a substantial effect on their businesses.
“A majority of our business is off the highway. It’s why we’re here,” Subway franchise owner Mark Hilson said. “So far [business] has been much slower; I just don’t see any of the people that walk through here or come in yet. So we’re worried, very worried about the next couple months.”
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Hilson said that he is anticipating anywhere from a 30-60% decline in business from the project, which will last three months through mid-September. There is a possibility for the northbound ramps to reopen in mid-August if the project remains on schedule.
“Definitely, with the highway being blocked off, it’s diminishing our business for sure,” BP Moasis Travel Plaza cashier Jason Roy said.
“We planned for like 20% down, but this morning we’re seeing 35-40,” Tracy Jacobson, McDonald’s general manager also at the Moasis Travel Plaza, said.
The I-41 project will expand the 23-mile stretch of highway from Appleton to De Pere to three lanes, and project officials and travelers both largely agree this will improve traffic flow on that stretch from the valley to the greater Green Bay area.
The project will not wrap up until 2030, though it will provide new structures, maintenance, and repairs that will last for decades. That is why project officials are emphasizing patience, both long-term and day-to-day safety.
“We know it’s a huge inconvenience to businesses, travelers, visitors. We just ask for their patience,” WisDOT I-41 project manager Bryan Learst said. “Safety is always the number one priority. It takes precedence over schedule, budget, etc. So [for drivers], minimize distractions, follow the posted speed limit, just plan ahead.”
According to Learst, the entirety of the project continues to be on schedule despite a lot of rain and a fiery truck crash in Grand Chute.
“We’ve had some rain days, obviously. We’ve had quite a few. We have not necessarily slowed down on our schedule yet, we’re still meeting our dates, working to get back on track to meet those dates. So we haven’t officially pushed or delayed anything,” Learst said. For the crash, “some additional daytime work that had to be done to reset the barrier that was damaged and displaced and then to replace the crash cushion.”
As for the County N Interchange, Learst says that work is moving smoothly for the overpass to be demolished early next week.
“Just getting started, but so far so good,” he said. “Started to bust up the pavement. Get that all moving. And then we have a little bit of bridge demo Tuesday and Wednesday, so we’ll have full closures on I-41.”
The demolition will result in nightly full lane closures, but the detour will just reroute traffic up and down the on and off ramps rather than a lengthy alternative on county highways and backroads.
“Essentially, we’ll send traffic up the ramps and then back down the other side while the bridge demo is,” Learst said.
While the work is going smoothly for the construction crews, business owners said that they are frustrated by the construction arriving a couple of weeks earlier than anticipated and the lack of financial support, as they expect major reductions in revenue.
“Today’s [construction] definitely caught me by surprise for sure,” Hilson said. “I find it kind of crazy that in a situation like this where the road is completely closed and not partially closed, there’s no money earmarked for the affected businesses.”
“There’s not compensation for businesses during construction, we do try to reach out and provide them with as much information as possible,” Learst said.
As for the shift in the project start time, Learst says that the projection, which was for early July after the 4th, is merely an estimation that can fluctuate due to the contracts that are signed with the construction companies.
“As soon as they get all of their submittals, we can approve their schedule and plans. We give them the notice to proceed, and they go,” he said.
For the past two years, Serena Boulware has been a Prime Inc. truck driver based in Springfield, MO. She drives across the country and makes her way through northeast Wisconsin every other week, stopping at the Moasis Travel Plaza.
She did not get the memo about the construction Thursday morning and arrived in Little Chute to quite the surprise.
“[The construction is] going to be a big problem, not just for me but for other drivers,” she said. “It took a little longer, being around here with the highway being shut off, so I had to figure out another route. It’s going to add time onto drivers’ schedules, and we’re going to be late.”
Inside the BP, Roy says that they might have to consider reducing the hours the station is open.
“There could be potential hours getting cut if things don’t get better because we just got back to 24 hours, but that could change if we don’t get much business,” Roy said.
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And at McDonald’s, Jacobson says that cutting staff members is not an option.
“Being able to keep our people still and give them hours and stuff they need to work still and be able to take care of their household.”
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