Namur in Door County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
The WIS 57 Reconstruction Project in Brown, Kewaunee, and Door Counties
From First Americans to Euroamericans
— Archaeology and History of the WIS 57 Transportation Corridor —
Why Was This Project Undertaken?
WIS 57 is the primary route into and out of the Door Peninsula's popular resort country and by the early 1990s had become inadequate to safely carry current traffic loads.
A Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) study of the WIS 57 highway corridor found an increasing rate of highway-related crashes. After evaluating this study, WisDOT developed a plan to realign, widen, and improve the southern portion of the highway. The WIS 57 plan was designed to promote public safety as well as enhance regional economic development in accord with WisDOT's Corridors 2020 report. Prior to selecting a final design, WisDOT undertook a variety of environmental, cultural, and archaeological studies to assess the effect that road construction would have on the cultural and natural landscape of the Door Peninsula.
Consultation among WisDOT, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and a variety of project stakeholders resulted in the selection of a route for the new highway designed to minimize impacts on the natural and cultural environment. In order to safeguard archaeological and historic resources affected by the project, WisDOT entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with FHWA, the Wisconsin State Historic Preservation Officer and other stakeholders including:
Forest County Potawatomi Community of Wisconsin
Ho-Chunk Nation
Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma
Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin
Peninsula Belgian-American Club
The archaeological investigations carried out in association with this agreement provided an unparalleled opportunity to investigate the rich, but often fragile, archaeological and historical record of northeastern Wisconsin.
The WIS 57 Reconstruction Project began about one mile north of the WIS 54/57 interchange in Brown County and continued north for 27.5 miles to the WIS 42 intersection about eight miles north of Brussels.
The realigned route generally parallels the old two-lane road but has been widened and redesigned as a limited access, four-lane highway.
logos of United States Department of Transportation, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, Wisconsin Department of Transportation
Erected 2012 by U.S. Department of Transportation, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Roads & Vehicles. A significant historical year for this entry is 2020.
Location. 44° 44.063′ N, 87° 40.018′ W. Marker is in Namur, Wisconsin, in Door County. Marker is on County Road DK east of County Road N, on the left when traveling east. Marker is immediately southwest of the Belgian Heritage Center, formerly Our Lady of the Snows Church. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1255 County Road DK, Brussels WI 54204, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Transportation Archaeology on the WIS 57 Project (here, next to this marker); Namur and the Norbertine Fathers: Community, Education, and Religion among Belgian-Americans (here, next to this marker); Architecture and History in the WIS 57 Project Area (here, next to this marker); Historic Euroamerican Settlement of the Door Peninsula (here, next to this marker); After the Fire: The Vandermissen Brickworks Site (here, next to this marker); The Fire of 1871 and Williamsonville: A 19th Century Euroamerican Settlement in Door County (here, next to this marker); Belgian Settlement in Wisconsin (within shouting distance of this marker); The Brussels Cemetery Grotto (approx. 2˝ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Namur.
More about this marker. WisDOT map caption: WIS 57 Study Area
Also see . . . Brick by Brick: A Comparative pXRF Analysis of Brickworks and Structures. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. (Submitted on January 12, 2015.)
Additional keywords. The WIS 57 Reconstruction Project in Brown, Kewaunee, and Door Counties
Credits. This page was last revised on October 15, 2021. It was originally submitted on January 12, 2015, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 464 times since then and 3 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 12, 2015, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin.