The Sturgeon Bay Parking & Traffic Committee, with two exceptions, supported the detour route developed by the department of transportation in connection with the three month closure of the Bayview Bridge in 2013 & recommended that the city council follow its lead. The three man committee approved the detour on a unanimous vote. The action by the committee was the culmination of several meetings on the detour, meetings that included multiple opportunities for input from stakeholders in the community. Several options were pitched before the final vote was taken. Downtown business owners wanted the detour to travel in both directions down 3rd Avenue in order to capture some of the thousands of travelers who will have to avoid the Bayview Bridge during the road project next year. Others didn’t like the idea of funneling truck traffic down Michigan Street, especially in the area of Sturgeon Bay high school. Some also thought the best truck route was down 1st Avenue to Gordon Road & out to the highway. In the end, the committee decided to follow the advice of the DOT & support the idea of travelers coming from the south traveling down Green Bay Road to Madison Avenue & from Madison Avenue across the Michigan Street Bridge & down Michigan Street to Highway 42/57. Those coming from northern door would turn on Egg Harbor Road, continue on Jefferson Street to 3rd Avenue, travel on 3rd Avenue to Michigan Street & across the Michigan Street Bridge back to the highway. The committee balked at the ideas of removing stop signs at the intersection of 3rd Avenue & Michigan Street & making 3rd Avenue, from Michigan Street to Oregon Street one way. Before a vote was taken, more than a dozen people spoke at the parking & traffic committee meeting Monday. In addition, three letters were read into the record.
