Data center trucks, detour create traffic frustration

A near constant procession of trucks traveling to and from Vantage Data Centers’ Lighthouse Campus on Port Washington’s north side and a detour that has funneled motorists onto rural roads and highways are fueling increasing traffic frustration.

The parade of dump trucks carrying what will be a total of 800,000 cubic yards of soil from the construction site to areas around the state and hauling gravel and stone to the data center land, as well as semis carrying wide loads of equipment and tankers, have created headaches, particularly on Highway KW and Lake Drive. 

There is so much construction traffic that Port Mayor Ted Neitzke said he saw 72 trucks from the data center project as he drove from Plymouth to Port Washington Monday evening.

It’s a system built for frustration as motorists are forced to share rural roads with trucks because Highway LL, which many drivers would otherwise use, is closed as sewer and water lines are extended to the data center site.

The work on Highway LL is expected to be completed by the end of February. 

“We’re looking at what we can do to get Highway LL open sooner,” Port Washington City Engineer Roger Strohm said Tuesday, noting city officials realize that will go a long way to easing traffic woes. 

“We’re doing everything we can to open it and get it in drivable condition, but if we feel it’s unsafe, we won’t open it.”

There is a chance that Highway LL won’t be paved by the end of February, he said, but the city still wants to open it when the utility work is completed — although truck traffic may be prohibited then and the speed limit could be reduced until the road is paved.

Strohm said he has not received many complaints about traffic, but acknowledged that others at City Hall have.

While many people have expressed concern about the condition of Highway KW and especially Lake Drive, which was built as a town road that doesn’t typically handle heavy construction loads, Strohm said the city is monitoring their condition.

“The county builds its roads pretty good and they’re designed for truck traffic,” he said of Highway KW. “I’m more concerned about Lake Drive.”

So far, he said, the roads appear to be holding up pretty well to the traffic. Vantage is required to repair any damage its construction crews cause, Strohm said.

While that typically would happen at the end of construction, the city may require repairs earlier if need be.

“If we saw something we felt is unsafe, something that’s going to cause damage to peoples’ vehicles, we would say, ‘Fix it now. Make it drivable now,’ ” he said.

Town of Port Chairman Mike Didier said the town is watching the condition of Lake Drive, adding that the true impact likely won’t be seen until spring, after the freeze-thaw cycle has exacerbated any damage.

“I’m anticipating we’ll have to do something on our portion of Lake Drive,” he said, adding Vantage will cover the cost.

The additional truck traffic has been seen not just in Port Washington but throughout northern Ozaukee County.

Sheriff Christy Knowles said her department has received complaints from residents living along routes used by construction crews, and in response the department has implemented directed patrols to ensure trucks are complying with the law.

“We have not rerouted construction traffic from any roads,” she said in a statement. “However, we have been visible in certain areas that have caused the most complaints.”

The county has deputies patrolling the affected areas on all three shifts, she said, and has deployed speed display trailers to “monitor speeds and provide a visual reminder to drivers in an effort to reduce speed.”

The State Patrol is also helping with enforcement, she said, including monitoring truck weight limits.

The department has talked to Vantage about residents’ concerns, Knowles said, and the company has been responsive.

“We also want to acknowledge that most construction vehicles are operating in compliance with traffic laws, which we appreciate,” she said.

Fredonia Village Administrator Christophe Jenkins said the additional enforcement has been welcome in the community, noting residents noticed a significant increase in truck traffic during the last several weeks.

“It was a constant stream of big trucks coming through,” he said. 

He said that the Public Works Director Eric Paulus met with the sheriff and county officials about the situation and they talked to Vantage, which changed its truck route to largely follow Highway 57 instead of Highway A.

“It was a chaotic first week or two, but it’s gotten better,” Jenkins said.