Northwest WI Regional Construction Update - Friday, Jul. 29, 2022

This week’s updates from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) on road construction projects for Barron, Burnett, Polk, Rusk, Sawyer, and Washburn counties.

Regionwide Pavement Marking Project

Highway: Various

• Location: Various
• Schedule: May 31 to October
• Cost: $1.13 million
• Description: Replacing paving marking.
• Traffic Impacts:
  • None

Barron County

Highway: US 53 northbound

• Location: Chippewa County line to US 8 near Cameron
• Schedule: April 4 to October
• Cost: $11.55 million
• Description: Removing a portion of the existing asphalt overlay and placing new asphalt; completing spot repairs on structures at Carlson School Road, County AA, the Chetek River, County I, Knapp Street, 20th Street and US 8 and placing a concrete overlay on each of the structures; replacing the concrete deck on the structure at County A; cleaning culverts and ditches; replacing culvert apron end walls, guardrail, pavement markings and signage; and completing spot improvements at Rest Area 34 and overlaying all concrete parking areas with asphalt.
• Traffic impacts:
  • Starting Saturday, July 30, there will be a single-lane closure of the median lane from the south limits of the project to rest area 34 with a weave to a single-lane closure of the driving lane from rest area 34 to north of County A.
    • The 14-foot max width restriction will remain in effect for this segment of US 53 until work is completed on the County A bridge.
  • A single-lane closure of the driving lane will remain in place from just south of 20th Street to US 8, and the 14-foot max width restriction will also remain in this segment.
  • The speed limit within each work zone is 60 mph.
  • Flagging will be utilized as necessary on the roads underneath the bridge structures including Carlson School Road, County AA, County A, County I, Knapp Street, 20th Street and US 8.
  • Single-lane closures on County I at the US 53 overpass might be used during working hours.
    • The northbound US 53 on-ramp from US 8 is closed.

Highway: WIS 48

• Location: Hay River Flowage, Cumberland
• Schedule: March 28 to August
• Cost: $1.24 million
• Description: Replacing a culvert with a bridge, bridge approaches and guardrail.
• Traffic impacts:
  • Motorists will encounter daytime single-lane closures controlled by flagging in work areas.

Highway: WIS 48

• Location: WIS 25 to West Avenue in Rice Lake
• Schedule: July 25 to late September
• Cost: $2.31 million
• Description: Removing a portion of the existing pavement and placing new asphalt; replacing and maintaining culverts; and adding a right-turn lane for westbound traffic on WIS 48 turning onto northbound County V.
• Traffic impacts:
  • WIS 48 is open to one lane of traffic controlled by temporary signals.
    • There is a 14-foot maximum width restriction in the work zone.
    • The speed limit has been reduced from 45 mph to 25 mph.

Highway: County A

• Location: County U in Dallas to County I
• Schedule: July 11 to August
• Cost: $2.52 million
• Description: Pulverizing and relaying asphalt pavement, paving.
• Traffic impacts:
  • Motorists will encounter single-lane closures controlled by flagging.

Highway: 5th Street

• Location: Vance Creek Bridge
• Schedule: July 11 to September
• Cost: $388,700
• Description: Replacing the bridge.
• Traffic impacts:
  • Motorists are using a temporary structure to get around construction.

Burnett County

Highway: County D

• Location: North Williams Road to County M east of Grantsburg
• Schedule: May 2 to July
• Cost: $1.9 million
• Description: Pulverizing and relaying the existing asphalt, paving new asphalt, realigning a stream and installing guardrail and pavement marking.
• Traffic impacts:
  • County D is closed to through traffic from North Williams Road to County M.
    • Motorists are being detoured at County D in Grantsburg to County M North.
    • Access to businesses and residences in the work zone is being maintained.
    • The road is expected to reopen to traffic by the end of the day today.

Polk County

Highway: US 63

• Location: County J southwest of the village of Clayton to US 8 in Turtle Lake
• Schedule: May 31 to September
• Cost: $3.94 million
• Description: Recycling a portion of the existing pavement, relaying it and placing new asphalt over it and rehabilitating or replacing culverts.
• Traffic impacts:
  • None.

Highway: WIS 46

• Location: WIS 64 in the St. Croix County town of Cylon to Snow Street in the Polk County city of Amery
• Schedule: July 5 to late September
• Cost: $7.02 million
• Description: Removing a portion of the existing pavement and placing new asphalt pavement; widening the existing shoulder and installing rumble strips; rehabilitating a box culvert north of Deer Park and other smaller culverts to maintain drainage; upgrading guardrail; and placing new pavement markings.
• Traffic impacts:
  • Motorists will encounter intermittent single-lane closures controlled by flagging.

Sawyer County

Highway: WIS 70

• Location: County W in Winter to County GG in Loretta
• Schedule: June 6 to August
• Cost: $4.53 million
• Description: Removing a portion of the existing asphalt pavement and placing new asphalt; replacing guardrail; and placing new pavement markings.
• Traffic impacts
  • Motorists will encounter single-lane closures controlled by flagging throughout the project limits.

Highway: Tag Alder Road

• Location: Namekagon River Bridge, town of Lenroot
• Schedule: July 18 to mid-September
• Cost: $566,185
• Description: Replacing the bridge.
• Traffic impacts:
  • Tag Alder Road is closed at the bridge.

Washburn County

Highway: US 53

• Location: Between Mackey and Ross roads in the town of Trego
• Schedule: March 17, 2021, to November 2022
• Cost: $17.65 million
• Description: Reconstructing US 53 from Mackey Road to existing US 63, relocating US 63 to closely follow the existing Wild Rivers State Trail and constructing a new grade separated interchange connecting US 53 with realigned US 63, new west frontage road from Mackey Road to County E and turn lanes along US 53 at existing intersections, including Mackey, O’Brien and Ross roads.
• Traffic impacts:
  • Traffic on US 53 is reduced to one lane in each direction on the southbound lanes.
    • Temporary signals are in operation at the US 53 intersection at US 63 and Liesch Road.
    • The speed limit on US 53 is reduced from 65 mph to 55 mph and on US 63 is reduced from 55 mph to 45 mph in the work zone.

Highway: US 63

• Location: Greenwood Avenue to Poplar Street, Spooner
• Schedule: March 28 to November
• Cost: $8.2 million
• Description: Reconstructing US 63 from WIS 70 to Poplar Street with new pavement, sidewalk, curb and gutter; reconstructing the US 63/WIS 70 intersection; rehabilitating US 63 from Greenwood Avenue to WIS 70 by milling the existing asphalt and overlaying the road with new asphalt; converting US 63 from Greenwood Avenue to Poplar Street to a three-lane road, with one lane for traffic in each direction and a two-way left-turn lane in the center to improve safety and reduce overall corridor travel times; installing new sanitary and storm sewer and water main; improving pedestrian access to meet current Americans With Disabilities Act standards at intersections; and installing new street lighting, pavement marking and signing.
• Traffic impacts:
  • US 63 is closed north of WIS 70 to Poplar Street.
    • Traffic is being detoured via WIS 70 and US 53.
    • During construction, alleys and cross streets will be kept open as much as possible.

Highway: WIS 70

• Location: US 53 to the south junction of County M east of Spooner
• Schedule: May 2 to late September
• Cost: $4.82 million
• Description: Recycling a portion of the existing pavement and resurfacing the road; replacing culverts; and placing new pavement markings.
• Traffic impacts:
  • WIS 70 is closed, and traffic is being detoured via US 53, County B and County M.