KAUKAUNA, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Kaukauna School District has a unique plan as part of its new $169 million middle school project — a new roundabout with a walking tunnel near the new middle school.
Located at the intersection of Highway 55 and Morningside Drive, it’ll be one of two access roads into the new middle school.
“That is the best solution based on their analysis, based on the traffic engineer’s analysis,” said Kaukauna Director of Public Works John Neumeier. “And then secondly, we need that tunnel. We need the roundabout location. It slows down traffic.”
Kaukauna choosing to build in a fairly undeveloped plot is partly what’s driving the $169 million estimated cost. That price tag was approved by voters in a referendum two years ago.
The $6 million estimated cost for the roundabout and walking tunnel project is included in the $169 million total school cost.
Residents raised various concerns during a Thursday night meeting, claiming property values would decrease with a nearby roundabout, that the area would become less safe and that the roundabout would complicate residents turning out of their driveways.
Kaukauna School District Superintendent Mike Slowinski explained the project when the school broke ground earlier this month.
“We’ve been working with the DOT, we’ve been working with safe routes to school and making sure that the way that kids access to and from the site is as safe as possible,” said Slowinski. “So limiting the ability for students to cross roads, whether that’s being dropped off on a sidewalk that goes right up to the school without having to cross the roadway or using the pedestrian high school.”
The other access point will include a bridge over to the high school and to Loderbauer Road.
The new Kaukauna Middle School will replace Riverview Middle School.
