Blizzard beats down on Highway 41

GRAND CHUTE - Highway departments say clearing Highway 41 was a priority throughout the day, Wednesday and continued to be one overnight.

41 is the area's busiest highway and a main connector from Green Bay to Milwaukee. Crews say the local economy depends on 41, so they dedicate many resources to clear it.

Through blasting winds, piling snow and a steady amount of slide-offs, 41 was open so area businesses could do the same.

"We gotta be there, a lot of people are having car troubles today and obviously coming in for tires," Jason Laluzerne said, explaining why he was on the roads.

Laluzerne was up at 5 a.m. Braving treacherous conditions to open his auto business.

"I seemed like the only one on the roads this morning," he said. "It was pretty crazy."

The Wisconsin State Patrol says 41 was snow covered, slippery and dangerous early Wednesday. Troopers discouraged travel, but saw many problems.

"Brown County a lot," Sergeant Tim McGrath with the Patrol said. "Our troopers were going from call to call, crashes, slide-offs."

McGrath says it was the same thing to the south, in the Oshkosh, Fond du Lac area, but there were no major injuries. He says conditions on 41 improved throughout the day, in part to a constant plowing effort.

"Highway 41 we actually have 24 hour service on that," Outagamie County Highway Commissioner Al Guerts said. "So, anytime snow or drifting or ice is on the roadway, there will always be guys out on 41 plowing and salting as needed."

More than 50 plows in Outagamie alone, the highway department's entire fleet, were out battling the storm and in some cases stranded vehicles.

"We have to work around them, that often times delays, not only getting around them but having to come back and clean after they're towed out of the way," Guerts said.

In the morning, he says crews found deep snow. Now, high winds and falling temperature are bringing a different set of challenges, as a wet 41 begins to freeze.

"That's what our troopers are focusing on, assisting motorists up and down between the south end to the north end," McGrath said.

The State Patrol called in off duty troopers and extended shifts to handle storm emergencies. The agency is urging drivers to avoid travel if possible. For those who must be out on the roads, troopers recommend watching your speed and increasing your following distance.