9-4-15 lawmakers send letter to judge regarding hwy 23 expansion project

A group of Republican lawmakers from Fond du Lac and Sheboygan counties is asking a federal judge to reconsider his decision that halted the expansion of Highway 23 to four lanes between Fond du Lac and Plymouth.   Seven area lawmakers including Senator Rick Gudex and representative Jeremy Thiesfeldt signed a letter mailed to federal judge Lynn Adelman.   Gudex says he believes DOT traffic counts justify the expansion project, contrary to what the judge stated.  The lawmakers write that since the judge’s ruling on May 22^nd  there have been a string of five crashes resulting in two fatalities and 16 injuries.  The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed by the environmental group 1000 Friends of Wisconsin.  The legislators say the lawsuit has little to no support in Fond du Lac and Sheboygan counties and was filed almost exclusively by people from outside the  area who do not consistently use Highway 23 or know anyone who does.  The letter states that it is imperative the project be allowed to begin as soon as possible.