County board designates highway ATV routes

[Mudtramp]

Wisconsin

Published June 25 2009
County board designates highway ATV routes
All-terrain vehicle enthusiasts now have more places to ride.
By: Shelley Nelson, Superior Telegram

The Douglas County Board last week approved 13 sections of county highway for ATV use. The approval comes in spite of Sheriff Tom Dalbec’s refusal to sign off on the use of county roadways for ATV use because of concerns about the safety of the vehicles on blacktop.

“Our concern is safety,” said Supervisor Nick Baker. “I don’t like those things anyway. I really don’t. What we’re trying to do is the safest thing. A lot of people are doing this already and what we want to do is try to get them to slow down. They’re speeding because they’re afraid they’re going to get caught. I’m hoping there will be a change and the clubs say there will be. The pressure is on the club to make this thing work.”

Under the ordinance, ATV operators are required to follow posted speed limits, ride single-file on the right side of paved highway and operate with a headlight and taillight. Operators ages 12-18 must wear a helmet.

Supervisor Kay Johnson, who serves as the county Highway Committee chairwoman, said she recently attended a highway convention and talked to as many county representatives as possible about the ordinance that would allow ATV’s on county highways.

“Surprisingly, they couldn’t even believe we were working with this,” she said. In the southern part of the state, Johnson said, counties don’t want anything to do with it, but Barron County and Rice Lake want to open everything up.

“I just hope this works out,” Johnson said. “The rest of the state is watching us.”

The new routes won’t be open until signs are posted, which isn’t expected until fall.

Routes approved for ATV travel once posted include:

County Road A: one mile from Pioneer Trail to Hunter’s Lane.

County Road B: 0.2 miles from Otto Road to Najt Road.

County Road B: about one mile from Church Road to Ilallberg Road.

County Road BB: 0.2 miles from Brietzman Lake Road to Gandy Dancer Trail.

County Road T: one mile from Swedish Highway to North Road.

County Road T: 0.5 miles from Rocky Brooke Trail to Crotte Brooke Trail

County Road T: 0.75 miles from Big Beaver Road to Town Road FF.

County Road Y: 0.5 miles from Bass Lake Road to Snowbeny Lane.

County Road Y: 0.3 miles from Eau Claire River to the railroad overpass, extend all the way to Wild Rivers Trail west on County Road Y.

County Road S: about one mile from East Lake Boulevard to South Lake Boulevard.

County Road H: one mile from Leppanen Road to Kauppi Road.

County Road C: 0.25 miles on corridor 43 (Finn Road) of Snowmobile Trail to Mertes Road.

County Road B: 0.5 miles from Darrow Road to Tuft Road.

Article Reference: County board designates highway ATV routes | Superior Telegram | Superior, Wisconsin