Rothschild proposes roundabouts on Weston Avenue and Alderson Street

ROTHSCHILD, Wis. (WSAW) - The stretch of Weston Avenue in the Village of Rothschild sees hundreds of vehicles every day. Now, community leaders want to improve traffic flow by adding a roundabout at the intersection of Alderson Street and Weston Avenue.

“With development happening with D.C. Everest School District, we’re trying to find a way that’s efficient in finding high traffic flow through the intersection at a much more efficient pace,” said Ryan Vandewalle, Village of Rothschild administrator.

Project Manager Chad Grundemann with MSA Professional Services said the proposed changes are based on a traffic analysis study. Between 2011 and 2019, 11 crashes were reported at Weston and Alderson. Grundemann added that roundabouts create lower speeds and less potential for angle crashes.

There are currently five roundabouts in Marathon County, and the hope is the sixth one will make things safer for everyone on the road. “Being able to have that ability to safely bike and walk and not be in traffic is important,” said Michael Wodalski, director of public works for the Village of Weston.

The planning process for Weston Avenue and Alderson Street intersection started around two years ago and includes a lot of community input.

What residents want here most is for this roundabout to be safe and cut down on traffic flow.

“It’s an area that needs some improvement with potential future expansion for Village of Rothschild south Weston Ave, it provides an opportunity for the increasing traffic to become more efficient in the years to come,” said Vandewalle.

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