MONTICELLO - In the 15 minutes Bob Schrieber spoke to the Times, 20 vehicles went by his home on Washington Road.
Except for those being followed by a Green County Sheriff Department vehicle, most seemed to be going a little too fast at about 6 p.m. Monday.
The amount of traffic going passed his home lately is "dangerously too much," Schrieber said.
Motorists are looking for, and finding, ways to bypass the detour of Wisconsin 69, much to the frustration of some rural Monticello residents. Bridge work is putting a halt to the direct passage from Monroe to Monticello, which carries 5,600 to 6,800 cars a day.
The state has routed traffic from Wis. 69 on to County C near Monticello and then to County J which takes motorists to Wisconsin 81 just north and west of Monroe.
South of the bridge on Wis. 69, Washington Road connects with County C, but is not an official state detour.
Washington Road is a Class B road, which will support trucks at only 60 percent of their gross vehicle rated weight, according to Green County Highway Patrol Superintendent Dick Marty.
Although other drivers can't be stopped from using the rural roads, "troops are specifically asked to do more (patrolling) when they can," Green County Chief Deputy Jeff Skatrud said.
Schrieber has lived in his home along Washington Road for 33 years, and he has never seen this much traffic, he said. The shortcutting started about a week after the detour went into effect June 29.
"It's ironic. They take a shortcut on Pierce (Road), which is two minutes quicker, they tell me," he said.
"Lots of Illinois cars. I even put my Viking signs up and they still come," he said with a smile.
The most dangerous part is trying to back out of his parking spot next to the road, he said.
Occasionally, Schrieber brings home an SUV stretch-limo.
"People stop when they see that backing out onto the road," he laughed.
The traffic continues "All night long," he said, of all sizes from motorcycles to Walmart delivery trucks.
The noise bothers the Schriebers more than their neighbors, the Smiths, across the road.
Schriebers' house sits at road level; the Smiths' home sits above the road on a small knoll.
"They're going to find the shortest routes," said Richard Smith.
The traffic is worst at about 6 a.m. and from 4 to 6 p.m., and "more and more motorcycles" have been showing up on the weekends, he said.
"My only worry is the motorcycles. This road was recently pea graveled, and I'm worried about accidents," Smith added.
Still, he can't blame people.
"I was young once, too," he said.
North of the bridge, the Carlino family is getting disgusted with motorists venturing down the closed road and using their driveway as a turnaround.
"What part of 'road closed,' do people not understand," Mike Carlino said.
Even Carlino's "guard goose" has become unresponsive because of the abundance of vehicles, including an Airstream camper, which had entered their driveway.
"Everything' still comes down Wis. 69, Carlino said. "The only thing they haven't used it for is drag races," he said.
But not all use his driveway as a turn around; some just put the vehicle in reverse.
Carlino once watched a semi back up almost a mile down the road to get to Wittenwyler Road to turn around.
"He got pretty good at it," Carlino laughed. "He wasn't very good when he started, but he was good when he got done."
Coming home from Monticello one day, Carlino found someone from Illinois sitting at the road block, wondering how to get around the closed bridge. He sent them back to the detour sign at County C.
Although Carlino talked with a state trooper working the detour on the first day the road was closed, he said he has not seen any law enforcement since.
Except for those being followed by a Green County Sheriff Department vehicle, most seemed to be going a little too fast at about 6 p.m. Monday.
The amount of traffic going passed his home lately is "dangerously too much," Schrieber said.
Motorists are looking for, and finding, ways to bypass the detour of Wisconsin 69, much to the frustration of some rural Monticello residents. Bridge work is putting a halt to the direct passage from Monroe to Monticello, which carries 5,600 to 6,800 cars a day.
The state has routed traffic from Wis. 69 on to County C near Monticello and then to County J which takes motorists to Wisconsin 81 just north and west of Monroe.
South of the bridge on Wis. 69, Washington Road connects with County C, but is not an official state detour.
Washington Road is a Class B road, which will support trucks at only 60 percent of their gross vehicle rated weight, according to Green County Highway Patrol Superintendent Dick Marty.
Although other drivers can't be stopped from using the rural roads, "troops are specifically asked to do more (patrolling) when they can," Green County Chief Deputy Jeff Skatrud said.
Schrieber has lived in his home along Washington Road for 33 years, and he has never seen this much traffic, he said. The shortcutting started about a week after the detour went into effect June 29.
"It's ironic. They take a shortcut on Pierce (Road), which is two minutes quicker, they tell me," he said.
"Lots of Illinois cars. I even put my Viking signs up and they still come," he said with a smile.
The most dangerous part is trying to back out of his parking spot next to the road, he said.
Occasionally, Schrieber brings home an SUV stretch-limo.
"People stop when they see that backing out onto the road," he laughed.
The traffic continues "All night long," he said, of all sizes from motorcycles to Walmart delivery trucks.
The noise bothers the Schriebers more than their neighbors, the Smiths, across the road.
Schriebers' house sits at road level; the Smiths' home sits above the road on a small knoll.
"They're going to find the shortest routes," said Richard Smith.
The traffic is worst at about 6 a.m. and from 4 to 6 p.m., and "more and more motorcycles" have been showing up on the weekends, he said.
"My only worry is the motorcycles. This road was recently pea graveled, and I'm worried about accidents," Smith added.
Still, he can't blame people.
"I was young once, too," he said.
North of the bridge, the Carlino family is getting disgusted with motorists venturing down the closed road and using their driveway as a turnaround.
"What part of 'road closed,' do people not understand," Mike Carlino said.
Even Carlino's "guard goose" has become unresponsive because of the abundance of vehicles, including an Airstream camper, which had entered their driveway.
"Everything' still comes down Wis. 69, Carlino said. "The only thing they haven't used it for is drag races," he said.
But not all use his driveway as a turn around; some just put the vehicle in reverse.
Carlino once watched a semi back up almost a mile down the road to get to Wittenwyler Road to turn around.
"He got pretty good at it," Carlino laughed. "He wasn't very good when he started, but he was good when he got done."
Coming home from Monticello one day, Carlino found someone from Illinois sitting at the road block, wondering how to get around the closed bridge. He sent them back to the detour sign at County C.
Although Carlino talked with a state trooper working the detour on the first day the road was closed, he said he has not seen any law enforcement since.