DOT officials to spend up to $30 million on new four-lane road for Foxconn

MOUNT PLEASANT —– State transportation officials unveiled plans Thursday for a new two-mile road east of I-94 aimed at easing traffic congestion near Foxconn’s planned $10 billion manufacturing complex in Racine County.

The Department of Transportation revealed plans for the road, dubbed “Wisconn Valley Way,” at a public meeting to provide details of planned upgrades to I-94 and state roads near the Taiwan company’s proposed facility.

More than 300 people attended the meeting at the Mount Pleasant Village Hall.

Large-scale maps were laid out on tables showing the upgrades that will meet the needs of Foxconn and up to 13,000 people working at the plant. The company is planning to build ultra-high-definition liquid crystal display panels.

The road will have two lanes in each direction with adjacent bike and pedestrian paths on both sides is expected to cost $20 million to $30 million and is planned for completion in 2019. The road will be paid with existing state transportation funds, officials said.

FULL COVERAGE:Foxconn in Wisconsin

Wisconn Valley Way is being built to meet increased traffic demand for the sprawling complex and to relieve congestion on I-94 and a frontage road next to the interstate, said Brett Wallace, director of the DOT’s southeast region.

The road will run from Highway 11 on the north, bisect Braun Road, and end at Highway KR on the south. Highway KR separates Racine and Kenosha counties.

Plans show it will curve around wetlands and large portions of a floodplain between Foxconn’s facilities and the freeway, DOT drawings show.

Plans also call for major upgrades on KR and on Braun near the plant. Both are two-lane roads.

Related:Foxconn's plans to use driverless vehicles points to potential of emerging technology

The two roads are expected to feature technology to accommodate driverless vehicles to move employees from parking areas west of I-94 to the Foxconn complex, according to state documents.