State Trunk Highway 441 (often called the Tri-County Expressway, Highway 441, STH 441, or WIS 441) is a state highway in the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...

. Together with U.S. Route 41

U.S. Route 41

U.S. Route 41 is a north–south United States Highway that runs from Miami, Florida to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until 1949, the part in southern Florida, from Naples to Miami, was U.S...

, the highway forms a beltway around the greater Appleton area, and is a freeway for the entire span of the route. It connects at both ends to its parent highway, US 41. It runs east–west and north–south in east central Wisconsin from near Neenah

Neenah, Wisconsin

Neenah is a city on Lake Winnebago in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, United States. Its population was 24,507 at the 2000 census. The city is bordered by, but is politically independent of, the Town of Neenah. Neenah is the southwestern-most of the Fox Cities of Northeast Wisconsin...

 around Appleton

Appleton, Wisconsin

Appleton is a city in Outagamie, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is situated on the Fox River, 30 miles southwest of Green Bay and 100 miles north of Milwaukee. Appleton is the county seat of Outagamie County. The population was 78,086 at the 2010 census...

 to near Little Chute

Little Chute, Wisconsin

Little Chute is a village in Outagamie County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 10,476 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Little Chute is located at ....

.

It routes through Winnebago

Winnebago County, Wisconsin

Winnebago County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2009, the population estimate was 163,370. Its county seat is Oshkosh. Winnebago County is included in the Oshkosh, Wisconsin-Neenah, Wisconsin, Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

, Outagamie

Outagamie County, Wisconsin

Outagamie is a county in the northeast region of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Its county seat is Appleton. As of the 2009 census estimate, its population was 177,155....

 and Calumet

Calumet County, Wisconsin

Calumet County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is included in the Appleton, Wisconsin, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the county's population was 48,971. The county seat is Chilton.-History:...

 Counties. The Roland Kampo Memorial Bridge spans Little Lake Butte des Morts

Little Lake Butte des Morts

Little Lake Butte des Morts is a lake in the state of Wisconsin, USA, eight miles north of Lake Butte Des Morts. It is part of the Fox-Wisconsin Waterway and receives its inflow from a short segment of the Fox River which drains from the north end of Lake Winnebago around Doty Island. The north end...

 near the highway's southwest terminus.

History

The Roland Kampo Memorial Bridge was the first portion of this road completed; traffic began flowing on the bridge at 11 AM, November 30, 1975. The bridge, designated County Highway Q for its first years, extended from US-41 to County Highway P/Racine Road (approximately 1.3 miles) The bridge was also the last portion of the Tri-county expressway completed for more than a decade, with the remainder of the expressway mired in the proposal stage. The bridge became known as the "Polish connection" by locals over time.

The bridge was given a state highway designation (441) in the 1980s, with signs to this effect going up in 1985 or 1986. Movement to complete the full 10.88 miles (17.5 km) of freeway began in the late 1980s, and the first new stretch of freeway since 1975 was completed in November 1991, extending from County Highway P to US 10/Oneida Street. The entire freeway length was completed in September 1993.

Termini

US 10 follows the route from its southwest junction with US 41 in Neenah to Oneida Street just south of Appleton in Menasha

Menasha, Wisconsin

Menasha is a city in Calumet and Winnebago Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 16,331 at the 2000 census. The city is located mostly in the Town of Menasha in Winnebago County; only a small portion is in the Town of Harrison in Calumet County. Doty Island is located...

where it turns off southeast. This junction is a partial cloverleaf interchange that does not include traffic movements. Due to safety concerns of being at-grade intersections four traffic movements were removed in 1997:

• Southbound US 41 to westbound US 10.
• Northbound US 41 to westbound US 10.
• Eastbound US 10 to southbound US 41.
• Eastbound US 10 to northbound US 41.

The eastbound US 10 to southbound US 41 and southbound US 41 to westbound US 10 were restored in 2001, leaving two missing connections.
The northeastern junction with US 41 is a trumpet interchange - with the loop ramp from US 41 westbound to WIS 441 southbound.

Interchanges

Future plans

WisDOT is studying options for expanding the route from west of US 41 to east of Oneida St from four to six lanes along with the upgrading of interchanges along the section. The study also includes options for completing the road's interchange with US 41 by installing the missing ramps, adding auxiliary lanes to US 41 and upgrading the Kampo Memorial Bridge. Two "kinks" are also being removed as part of the plan, in order to increase the speed limit on 441 to 65 mph from its current 55 mph limit.
If and when Interstate 41 is completed in Wisconsin, It would make sense to upgrade Hwy. 441 to I-441.

External links

• WI 441 Terminus Photos