MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) -- The Madison Beltline has more than 120,000 people driving on it every day and officials say that number is expected to grow. That's why there's a study being done by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to keep up with traffic.

The speed limit on the beltline is 55 but, Deputy Eric Novotny says many people drive faster than that.

"It looks like the interstate, it smells like the interstate, people drive it like the interstate but it's not the interstate. It may have multiple lanes but it can't be driven like the interstate,” said Deputy Novotny.

He has been working with the Dane County Sheriff's office for 25 years. He and Deputy Evan Tilleson are apart of the Freeway Service Team, a partnership between the sheriff's office and Department of Transportation. They have one goal.

"To get the flow back to as normal as possible as quickly as possible,” said Deputy Novotny.

Deputy Novotny says on average there are five to seven crashes a day and he says the number of people driving on the Beltline is increasing. To keep up, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation is looking at long term plans for the Beltline. Wisconsin DOT officials say they did not have anyone available to go on camera but a DOT spokesperson says they are currently in the Planning and Environment Linkages phase of the study which includes stockholder outreach and engagement from community. After the study is complete, planning efforts will fall into the National Environmental Policy where there will be detailed options that could address long term solutions.

For now, Deputy Novotny says people should not hesitate to call 911 for cars being stopped on the shoulder or even running out of gas.

"If something stays there for a great length of time, it affects continuously backing up. If we can get to it quickly and remove it then those secondary crashes do not occur,” said Deputy Novotny.

The Wisconsin of DOT spokesperson says there is no construction associated with the study. They say improvements recommendations for solutions can't be considered until the Planning and Environmental Linkages study and national environmental policy act is complete, which is several years away.

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