(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
KENOSHA, Wis. — City officials are moving forward with a full closure of a key Sheridan Road intersection next month as part of ongoing streetcar infrastructure work, and they are inviting residents to weigh in before construction begins.
The City of Kenosha plans to shut down Sheridan Road at 56th Street beginning June 12 to replace embedded streetcar tracks at the intersection. Barricades are expected to be delivered the day before, June 11, marking the start of the project setup.
The closure will halt all through traffic at the intersection for approximately 11 working days, not including weekends, as crews remove and replace the track and allow time for concrete to properly cure. The project requires a complete shutdown of the intersection rather than partial lane closures.
City staff, along with engineers and contractors involved in the project, are expected to outline the construction plan and answer questions during a public informational meeting scheduled for 5 p.m. Monday, May 11, at the Kenosha Transit facility, 4303 39th Ave.
Representatives from Terra Tec Engineering and Volkmann Railroad Builders will be present to discuss the scope of the work and expected impacts. Detour routes will also be presented, with maps showing traffic being rerouted around the construction zone.
A map included in project materials shows northbound and southbound traffic being diverted several blocks west and south of the closure area, guiding drivers around the intersection while maintaining access to surrounding streets.
Residents who cannot attend the meeting in person will have the option to participate virtually through an online meeting link or by phone.
City officials say the project is necessary to maintain the integrity and safety of the streetcar system, which operates along Sheridan Road through downtown Kenosha.
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19 Responses
Closing Sheridan and 56th for two weeks to fix a trolley crossing is wild. That’s one of the busiest intersections in the area, and we’re shutting it down for a system that runs a tiny loop downtown and is empty most of the time. Outside of big events like the 4th of July or the Christmas tree lighting, nobody is riding this thing. It’s not real transportation, it’s a novelty at best.
If the city wants to keep it, fine. But run it seasonally or for events. Don’t keep dumping money into year-round maintenance and infrastructure while disrupting major traffic corridors to fix it.
At some point, we have to ask whether the cost and inconvenience actually match the benefit. Right now, it clearly doesn’t.
Thats how they rob us…
Expensive or not it’s apart of the charm that makes Kenosha unique. It creates sense of place that is different from every other part of the country, signals to investors a commitment to improve a geographic area, helps drive tourism, and property values.
If you want call it loss leader, fine, the alternative is slap up more self storages and cookie-cutter buildings/infrastructure that we all ‘love’ to look at.
Not everything is so simple as “does it run in the black” or not. Enjoy it and the uniqueness it brings to the community – along with all the not so obvious benefits.
Let someone else pay for it then. Its a fucking waste.
If we had this attitude about everything then the county residence can start paying for their own services, 100% and not relying on the city residence to subsidize your way of life. Pay for plowing your own roads, paying for your own repairs, building out your own infrastructure, such as, internet, power, water.
The ROI makes no sense per citizen. You want to live in the middle of nowhere, then YOU open that wallet and — “don’t tread on me” — guy.
Use your brain. We as a community help each other – it’s not just all about you “conservative”.
Minutes
Transit Commission Meeting
625 52nd Street, Rm. 202
Monday – September 15, 2025
Vote on Award of Contract for Project 04-25, 56th Street and Sheridan Road Streetcar Track
Replacement By and Between the City of Kenosha, WI and Volkmann Railroad Builder’s Inc.
(Menomonee Falls, WI). (also referred to Finance and Common Council)
Mr. Ogbuagu spoke and answered questions. Mr. Morrissey spoke and answered questions.
Motion by Vice Chairperson Hutchings, seconded by Comm. Serpe to approve item #2. Motion
passed (Ayes 5, Noes 1) with Comm. Schmidt voting no.
Milwaukee has its “Bridge to Nowhere” and Kenosha our “trolley to nowhere.”
Seriously, I have no problem with the trolley as a tourist attraction. But closing a street for two weeks, no way.
It’s not a trolley to nowhere. It passes another waste of money, the civil war museum. Kenosha and Gettysburg are often confused. It is so easy to piss away someone else’s money for the “charm” of Kenosha.
Yes fix it, I don’t care what you other people think about it, has to be done, get over it
You can pay for it outa your own pocket then Mr. Anderson.
Hes is. As are we…..Nothing but more waste.
Bet it takes more then two weeks for a 50ft section of rail
Remember when this was passed . It was free money that if Kenosha didn’t take it someone else would. Here is the reality maintenance. What a waste.
The trolley is always empty. What a fucking waste of money.
I bet Mayor McCheese wants the road fixed.
It’s the toy in the happy meal?
The trolley is the absolute best way to see the sheriff’s departments gas pumps without a doubt. It also gets you a great look at local mammals (county building workers smoking across the street).
The trolley was sold as a benefit for all the rich people from Chicago who were expected to move to Harbor Park with their yachts and sailboats and take the streetcar to the metra station to commute to Chicago. Since I had recently moved to Carol Beach after30 years being an elitist Chicago snob, I knew the Motel Six architecture of HP would bomb with Chicagoans. Now is the time to euthanize the trolley. Alluvah sholem.
The streetcar is WASTED tax dollars. Yes. Federal money was involved. Yet that money is YOUR taxes. Unless it is part of trillions our country is in debt. If that is the case, your children, grandchildren and more unborn yet will be paying for this folly.
We dodged another financial bullet when this streetcar line was not extended to the uptown.
The streetcar does not operate early enough for the early morning Harbor Park commuters to ride it to METRA.
It does not operate late enough to take them home.
A streetcar full of third graders on a “field trip” is recreation, not transportation.
Sell them all. Including the rails and cables they run on for scap metal. Use the money for something of value. Maybe KUSD budget? LOL