DOT continues to plan for Hwys. 51, Hwy. K, Swamp Lake Road intersection improvements

The state Department of Transportation (DOT) is still in the process of receiving public input on planned improvements for the intersection of U.S. Highway 51 with County Highway K and Swamp Lake Road in the towns of Nokomis and Cassian.

Almost a year ago, The Lakeland Times reported accident data gathered by the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office that showed there were responses to nearly 1,000 multi-vehicle crashes along the stretch of road from State Highway 8 to County Highway D since 2010. 

Additionally, the intersection of Hwy. 51, Hwy. K and Swamp Lake Road had the most accidents reported in the county, totaling 87. The other two intersections with the most accidents aren’t far away — those include the Hwy. 51 and Rocky Run Road intersection with 82 multi-vehicle accidents since 2010 and the Hwy. 51 and County Highway L intersection with 59. 

Not long after that article was published the DOT announced a plan to start an improvement process to the Hwy. 51, Hwy. K and Swamp Lake Road intersection. 

A meeting of local officials was held on Dec. 9, 2024, followed by a meeting with the public on Jan. 22 and a public comment period opened from  Jan. 22 to Feb. 19. 

The project overview, according to the DOT website, includes: constructing northbound and southbound left turn lanes and a northbound right turn lane; constructing northbound and southbound left turn lanes, a northbound offset right-turn lane and a raised median on the Hwy. K approach; and constructing a multi-lane roundabout with two-lane approaches on northbound and southbound Hwy. 51 and single lane approaches on Hwy. K and Swamp Lake Road.

Potential traffic impacts include: traffic control will depend on final plans, but could include flagging operations, staged construction, single lane and shoulder closures and/or possible closure of side roads; temporary driveway closures might be necessary, property owners will be notified by project staff if that’s needed and is the case. 

Bryan Rose, a spokesperson with the DOT, said another meeting is scheduled Sept. 25 between local officials and the project team, as well as an additional public involvement meeting in October. Details for those meetings, such as when and where, haven’t been determined yet, he indicated, but once that information is known, the DOT will announce it to the public. 

Rose said affected property owners will receive correspondence via mail throughout the process, too. 

Solutions to improve the safety of the Hwy. 51, Hwy. K and Swamp Lake Road intersection listed under the project’s overview aren’t set in stone. Rose indicated that could change depending on what occurs at the remaining meetings and the public input that is received.

“This is all part of the design process,” he said. “Going out to the public, that’s integral to what we do. You know, go out, get public opinion and to kind of get input from the people that use the area all the time.”

According to the DOT website, a final plan submittal for the project is scheduled for Aug. 1, 2026, and construction would begin in 2027.

Trevor Greene may be reached via email at [email protected].