Well, I lost count of the weeks of the construction along Bluemound Road.  In mid-June, I summarized activities of week one.The three one-mile segments of construction between Moorland and Barker Road were to have each taken three months.

It's now November, and the orange barrels are catching snowflakes.  The DOT has improved the flow of traffic along Bluemound Road.  Traffic can more easily travel at 45 mph.  Many medians were closed.  Crossing over to a business or retail shop on our "Bluemound Corridor" is more difficult.  For example, when traveling east on Bluemound,  I can make a left turn into my bank.  When I leave the bank, I need to turn right (west).  Luckily there are strip malls along the way for turning around and getting back to 18 Eastbound.  Of course, one could always make a U-turn at the stop lights.

Ooops.  Sorry, that's illegal. It's been decades since I read the motor vehicle handbook, so I confirmed the legality with the town and city police departments.  If an officer happens to be nearby, you may get a ticket or a warning. The city police department told me the DOT isn't likely to post No U-Turn Signs at intersections. Somehow the town of Brookfield convinced the DOT to post them.

Other DOT improvements consist of removing some driveway entrances/exits onto Bluemound, and putting in "walk signals," marking sidewalk crossings and meeting ADA (Americans with Disability) standards.  That should make it easier for pedestrians of all abilities to cross the highway.

The inconvenience of the road construction will soon be forgotten.  But, in 2011 construction will begin on both Capitol Drive and Bluemound Road. That should really be a trip!

(1)  My writing (and believing) that 124^th Street south of Greenfield was in Brookfield.  (Dec 12, 2006)

(2) A statement that the Town of Brookfield won't use TIF (Tax Incremental Financing) to redevelop property along Bluemound Road  (Aug 13, 2007)

(3) My belief that Greenfield Road has better traffic flow than Bluemound Road (Sep 28, 2007)

He was right on the first one. I will never forget that 124th Street south of Greenfield is in New Berlin. In fact, I acknowledged that Dec 31, 2006.  But I do maintain that a [non-environmental] TIF won't be used in the town, and that the traffic flow on Greenfield is better than that on Bluemound.

Here's why:

Legally, the town form of government cannot use a TIF.  But evidently there is an exception for lands needing environmental cleanup.  A state TIF was used (by the Town) in clean up of the Majestic theatre site.

In my opinion, Greenfield Road does has better traffic flow than Bluemound Brookfield Road (corrected 11/2/07).  While I normally head east on Greenfield Road to 124^th, I have taken Greenfield Road west to Waukesha.  Admittedly, the road does narrow west of Bluemound Road. (That’s because the Town of Brookfield chose not to fund the road widening at the level the state demanded.)  From my perspective, the alternate design the state created does not impede traffic flow.

I do live in the Town of Brookfield.  I enjoy the lower tax rates, town water, and sanitary sewer rates that are lower that the city’s.  Emergency response times have been good, and I am confident in the first responders’ skills.  As the word ‘town’ implies, it has smaller government which I feel tends to be more responsive than larger entities.

Nonetheless, I’m sorry I inconvenienced those who pointed out my errors. So please let me know about future misstatements by using the "commenting tool' on this blog.