Highway 23 Expansion Commerce Impact

Most of the support behind the Highway 23 expansion project is emphasizing the safety aspect of the change into a four-lane split highway – but many businesses are hoping for it to improve commerce in the area. 

Cecilia Harry, President and CEO of Envision Greater Fond du Lac says the highway has been a concern for many companies that regularly move shipments between Fond du Lac and Sheboygan, or even employees who make the daily commute. She says “there’s a safety component to it, and then also from a transportation infrastructure perspective, a business needs a good set of highways to have access to wherever they’re sending their goods or wherever they’re going to receive goods from.”

Harry also questions “are we an appealing area to expand, or do some of existing companies
have facilities elsewhere in the state or the Midwest
where there is better transportation infrastructure? And that’s where they’re
likely to put their expansion investment because of that really critical
component of business climate being better in another community.”

If approved, construction could begin next summer – and run through at least 2021.