The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is going to study a section of Highway 97 between Marshfield and Stratford to try to determine the cause of a series of serious crashes.
Regional supervisor Brent Matthews said the department has been inundated with complaints from local citizens.
“This stretch of Highway 97 has been an area that has really repeatedly come up from locals and local officials as well as the public as an area of concern,” Matthews said. “There’s been fatal crashes and high severity crashes.”
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A stretch of the highway just north of Marshfield in the Town of McMillan is particularly dangerous, according to Town Chairwoman Carolyn Opitz.
“People are going too fast and there’s a lot of traffic,” Opitz said. “When people stop to make a left turn, other people pass them on the right.”
Opitz pointed to one fatal crash, and a near fatal crash last year.
“One gentleman called me and said, my teenagers are ready to start driving and I don’t want them to have to go through those intersections,” she said.
Matthews said the study of Highway 97 should be completed by the end of the year.
“This might be a good time to do a full study of the whole corridor there and look really into the details of all the crashes,” he said.
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