For more information, contact:
Jane Carrola, WisDOT Scenic Byways coordinator
(608) 266-0649, jane.carrola@dot.wi.gov
Dennis Leong, WisDOT Bureau of Planning and Economic Development
(608) 266-9910 dennis.leong@dot.wi.gov
Wisconsin is receiving over $2.4 million in federal awards that will fund two projects along the Great River Road National Scenic Byway (WIS 35) in western Wisconsin and a project along the state-designated Door County Coastal Byway (WIS 42 and WIS 57). The grants are administered through the Federal Highway Administration’s National Scenic Byway Program.
The federal awards include:
* $1,694,169 to construct a Great River Road Interpretive Center on site at the Genoa National Fish Hatchery adjacent to WIS 35 in Vernon County. The center’s indoor and outdoor facilities will allow visitors to learn more about the history and aquatic resources of the Upper Mississippi River.
* $118,500 to construct a one-mile multi-use bike trail as part of the Great River State Bike Trail through the Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge just north of Trempealeau. The trail will enhance safety by separating bike and pedestrian traffic away from the refuge’s existing auto-tour route. The project also includes improvements to an existing auto and bike pull-off to include an observation and interpretive area.
* $600,750 to help purchase a 16-acre property south of Ellison Bay along WIS 42 as part of the Door County Coastal Byway. The property offers scenic views over the waters of Green Bay, bluffs and two county parks. Officially designated by the state a year ago, the 66-mile Door County Coastal Byway travels along WIS 42 and WIS 57 from Sturgeon Bay, north to the town of Northport, and then south to Bailey’s Harbor and Jacksonport.
Established in 2005, Wisconsin’s Scenic Byway program allows communities to nominate a numbered state or federal (non-interstate) highway segment 30 miles long or longer that provides travelers an enjoyable visual, educational and recreational experience. In addition to the Great River Road National Scenic Byway, Wisconsin offers two state-designated scenic byways: the Door County Coastal Byway and the approximately 100-mile Lower Wisconsin River Road (WIS 60) between Lodi and Prairie du Chien.
Scenic Byway designation offers several benefits such as allowing the use of unique scenic byway logo signs to mark the route, and promoting preservation of an area’s scenic, historical and recreational treasures. It also allows the scenic byway to compete for federal grants to enhance the route for visitors. Since the year 2000, Wisconsin has received some $5.3 million in federal Scenic Byway awards.
Candidate byways must be locally nominated and supported – a grass-roots approach that ensures a strong local commitment to the promotion and long-term preservation of a highway corridor. Interested applicants are encouraged to form a local byway group including area business officials, community leaders and others that can oversee the application process and possibly serve a long-term function to manage a designated byway’s ongoing activities. More information on the state Scenic Byway program, including a citizens handbook and application materials, can be found on the WisDOT Website.
