'It’s going to be destroyed:' Homeowners speak out against road expansion plan cutting into yards

NOW: ’It’s going to be destroyed:’ Homeowners speak out against road expansion plan cutting into yards
NEXT:

RACINE COUNTY (CBS 58) – The Wisconsin DOT is planning to expand a county road in Racine and Kenosha counties from two lanes to four and residents are not happy about it.

The Wisconsin DOT is in the planning stages of expanding County KR from a two-lane to four-lane road between County H and Old Green Bay Road. In one portion there would be a 30 foot raised median. The DOT describes the details of the plan here.

Residents who live on County KR are upset because the expansion will cut into their front yards. The Maj’s bought their dream home on County KR about a year ago, but they say it has become a nightmare.

“This is a beautiful, rural community and we were so happy to be here and it’s going to be destroyed,” Resident Leslie Maj said.

Maj said the expansion would take away most of her front yard.

“We’re going to have semi’s speeding through here at 55 to 65 miles per hour 35 feet from my home,” Maj said.

Another resident, Haley Bell said her home will be impacted too.

"We’re going to be looking at a brick wall,” Bell said.

According to DOT documents, the road expansion project would improve projected high traffic volumes in the future.

“County KR is not adequate to handle increased travel demand anticipated from local economic development projects and land use plans including Foxconn,” the DOT stated in the document.

Resident Jeannine Brokmeier recently started a written petition asking to slow down the project. She has about 50 signatures and expects to get much more than that soon.

“I think this project is moving way too fast and that it’s being moved forward by the opportunity Foxconn is offering that’s creating more jobs and housing, but we’re questioning if that’s really going to come to pass,” Brokmeier said.

Racine and Kenosha counties would handle real estate acquisition and relocations.

“I don’t want the money,” Maj said. “I want my house, my dream house.”

Construction could begin as early as summer 2020. Wisconsin DOT did not return CBS 58’s request for comment Friday.

Share this article: