Crossing Rivers desires direct access road from highway to main entrance
Pictured is the area where the desired direct access road from Highways 18/35 to the main entrance of the new hospital would begin. As it is now, those visiting the hospital would enter from the stoplights at Southtown Lane and drive past Nathan Plaza to access the facility. The hospital and city are hopeful that the Federal Aviation Administration will approve their request for the main access point to be directly off the highway. (Photo by Correne Martin)
By Correne Martin
Crossing Rivers Health’s new medical center on the south end of Prairie du Chien becomes closer to reality every day. CEO Bill Sexton said, last week, that the hospital is anticipated to open in the first part of June, though that depends on construction progress, state approval and a number of additional factors.
While the current main entrance to the property is via the stoplights at Southtown Lane (near Walmart) and past Nathan Plaza, Crossing Rivers and the city of Prairie du Chien wish for an access road to be built directly from Highways 18/35 to the main entrance of the new hospital. The desired entry point is located in the area where the former Stark’s Mobile Homes had its entrance. However, because of the close proximity to the Prairie du Chien Municipal Airport, it is unknown whether the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will grant the request to construct such a road.
According to Sexton, direct access would benefit the safety and convenience of all hospital users. “It would allow emergency access immediately off the highway. That’s one of the reasons we wanted to be where we are,” he stated, noting that health care staff, delivery drivers and ambulance drivers may access the new facility from a private entrance off of Vineyard Road.
Sexton added that Crossing Rivers actually owns the property on which the proposed access road would be constructed. But the issue is that the road would sit upon an existing airport avigation easement, an airport clear zone easement and a Runway Protection Zone (RPZ).
A recent letter from WisDOT Secretary Mark Gottlieb to the city of Prairie du Chien explained the situation. “The avigation and airport clear zone easements were purchased to protect people and property in the approach area of crosswind Runway 11/29 of the municipal airport. The easements are overlapped by the RPZ, which is an area outlined by FAA safety standards off the end of each runway where the owner is asked to control development to further protect people and property on the ground.”
The proposed access directly off the highway is approved on a Wisconsin Department of Transportation access plat, which complies with access road safety standards on a state trunk highway. Yet, the FAA will hand down the final determination on whether to allow construction of a road that, as it is now, conflicts with existing protections relative to the airport.
Letters in support of the direct access road have been sent from the city of Prairie du Chien to the offices of Congressman Ron Kind; Senators Ron Johnson, Jennifer Shilling and Tammy Baldwin; and Representative Lee Nerison.
In the meantime, hospital and city officials await word from the FAA, which Sexton said “probably won’t get made before we move in.”
When the health care center is nearly ready to open, Crossing Rivers plans to put a 14-foot, lighted monument sign in place of the current “A new way of looking at health care” baby sign. It will be designed so that it can be relocated closer to the hospital structure if the FAA allows the direct access road. Plans also call for lighted letters on the roof of the new medical center, spelling out “Crossing Rivers Health,” and “emergency” signage on the emergency entrance. The city has approved these plans and the potential relocation of monument sign.
“We’ve said if they let us build a road to the hospital from the highway, we will move our monument sign away from the highway,” Sexton said.
Once the new hospital opens, the FAA and all air carriers will also be notified that the facility’s approved medical helicopter landing site at that location is operational.
