INTERSTATE 41.  Wisconsin's new governor, who turned down federal money to provide train service to Madison, thereby relegating travellers to the deteriorating and congested Interstate 94, now seeks federal money to upgrade U.S. 41 (it begins in Florida, but at the Wisconsin end conveniently runs west of Interstate 43 and east of Interstate 39) to an Interstate Highway itself.

Large stretches of the existing road are grade separated and limited access, and I've referred to it as one of Wisconsin's Cheddarbahns, the non-Interstate roads with 65 mph speed limits.

James Rowen's Political Environment suggests that the project will divert money the state doesn't have from repairs elsewhere in the state's road network.

With gasoline prices pushing past $4 per gallon (reflecting crude oil prices, not corrective taxes or user fees), the opportunity to go a little faster on Interstate 41 might not be worth it.  Until May of 1971, there was a vestige of a fast, frequent passenger train service paralleling Highway 41.  Restoration of that service (the Milwaukee to Wiscona Junction section is slow trackage now, and the Wiscona to Fond du Lac section has been torn up) might be a better use of the money.