This week’s updates from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) on road construction projects for Barron, Burnett, Polk, Rusk, Sawyer, and Washburn counties.
Barron County
Highway: WIS 48
- Location: Between 22 ½ Avenue in the town of Rice Lake and County SS in the city of Rice Lake
- Schedule: July 17 to September
- Cost: $1.08 million
- Description: Replacing three culverts and the pavement above each.
- Traffic impacts: WIS 48 is closed to through traffic, with motorists detoured via 22 ½ Avenue and County SS.
Highway: US 53
- Location: 26th Avenue north of Rice Lake to Pine Grove Road south of Sarona
- Schedule: Sept. 5 to October 2024
- Cost: $21.89 million
- Description: Removing the existing and base course, placing a new base aggregate layer for drainage, replacing the pavement, rebuilding intersection approaches and installing cable barrier in the median between 26th and 27th avenues and a friction surface on the pavement in the same area to reduce crossover crashes.
- Traffic impacts: Inside lane closures are planned to start Monday, Sept. 18 for the construction of median crossovers at 26th Avenue. In the work zone, the speed limit will be reduced to 55mph. During 2023, motorists will encounter single-lane closures as work is completed, and a reduced speed limit of 55 mph when lanes are closed.
Burnett County
Highway: WIS 70
- Location: St. Croix River Bridge west of Grantsburg
- Schedule: June 21 to October
- Cost: $1.25 million
- Description: Overlaying the bridge deck with concrete, making concrete structure repairs, repairing bridge joints, placing a polymer overlay on the sidewalk and replacing missing riprap, guardrail and approach pavement.
- Traffic impacts: The bridge is reduced to a single lane of traffic controlled by temporary signals.
Polk County
Highway: County K
- Location: Branch Wapogasset River Bridge west of Amery
- Schedule: Sept. 12 to November
- Cost: $595,977
- Description: Replacing the bridge.
- Traffic impacts: County K is closed from WIS 65 to County P, and traffic is being detoured via WIS 65, County F and County P.
Highway: US 63
- Location: St. Croix/Polk County line to County J south of the village of Clayton
- Schedule: April 12 to late September
- Cost: $5.71 million
- Description: Replacing the pedestrian underpass east of 7th Street in the village of Clear Lake; milling off 2 inches of asphalt pavement and placing 3.25 inches of new asphalt; adding shoulder gravel to accommodate the highway profile increase; realigning the approach of County A/F at US 63 to achieve better sight distance at the intersection; realigning the approach of 60th Avenue at US 63; expanding the intersection tapers to meet current design standards; replacing guardrail; and cleaning, lining or repairing culverts and installing new end walls on some structures.
- Traffic impacts: Motorists might encounter daytime lane closures as the project comes to an end.
Highway: WIS 65
- Location: North junction of Jewell Street in the St. Croix County village of Star Prairie to US 8 in the Polk County town of Balsam Lake
- Schedule: May 15 to September
- Cost: $8.85 million
- Description: Removing a portion of the existing asphalt pavement, overlaying the roadway with new asphalt pavement, creating a narrow, paved shoulder and reconstructing three areas of substandard vertical curves – one between the St. Croix/Polk County line and the curve just to the north and two stretches between 28th and 38th avenues in the Polk County town of Alden.
- Traffic impacts: Motorists will encounter daytime lane closures and flagging as work is completed.
Rusk County
Highway: Horseshoe Lake Road
- Location: McDermott Creek Bridge south of Weyerhaeuser
- Schedule: July 18 to early September
- Cost: $354,406
- Description: Replacing the bridge.
- Traffic impacts: None; project complete.
Highway: US 8
- Location: Cedar Swamp Road southwest of Weyerhaeuser to the Chippewa River in Bruce
- Schedule: July 10 to October
- Cost: $6.17 million
- Description: Removing a portion of the existing asphalt pavement; overlaying the roadway with new asphalt pavement; replacing culvert pipes; completing shoulder work;, replacing curb, gutter and guardrail, along with sidewalk curb ramps in Bruce; and placing new pavement markings.
- Traffic impacts: Motorists will encounter daytime lane closures controlled by flagging.
Highway: US 8
- Location: Old 8 Road/East 16th Street North in Ladysmith east to the Price County line
- Schedule: Aug. 21 to October
- Cost: $1.73 million
- Description: Replacing 35 culvert pipes and abandoning two more; repairing or replacing wing walls on three box culverts; replacing pavement above culvert work and guardrail; and placing new pavement markings.
- Traffic impacts: Motorists will encounter lane closures controlled by flagging and temporary signals.
Sawyer County
- No current projects
Washburn County
Highway: WIS 70
- Location: Yellow River culvert east of the city of Spooner
- Schedule: Aug. 7 to October
- Cost: $1.13 million
- Description: Removing the existing culvert, constructing a bridge, replacing the pavement on both sides of the structure and placing new pavement markings and signage.
- Traffic: The road is closed, with traffic detoured via US 53 and US 63.
Highway: Northbound US 53
- Location: Business 53 on the south side of Minong to Lakeside Road
- Schedule: July 17 to late September
- Cost: $2.32 million
- Description: Repairing or replacing concrete pavement, resurfacing the existing asphalt shoulders, refreshing the existing gravel shoulders, cleaning or repairing culverts, placing shoulder rumble strips and updating pavement markings.
- Traffic: Northbound US 53 is reduced to a single.
- WIS 77 East is closed at northbound US 53 for pavement patching.
- Traffic is being detoured via Business 53, with access to Business 53 north and south of Minong.
- WIS 77 East is closed at northbound US 53 for pavement patching.
Highway: US 53
- Location: Pine Grove Road southeast of Shell Lake to Wildcat Road southeast of Spooner
- Schedule: Aug. 15, 2022, to October 2023
- Cost: $16.8 million
- Description: Removing the existing pavement and a portion of the existing base course; placing a new base aggregate layer for drainage and new concrete pavement; replacing storm sewer, culverts, curb and gutter; reconstructing the approaches to US 53 from existing intersections; replacing shoulder rumble strips; and placing pavement markings.
- Traffic impacts: One lane of traffic in each direction is being maintained on the northbound lanes. The week of Sept. 18, southbound traffic will be switched back to the southbound side, and the inside north- and southbound lanes on US 53 will be closed to traffic.
Highway: US 53
- Location: Wildcat Road southeast of Spooner to County A
- Schedule: July 31, 2023, to November 2024
- Cost: $22.74 million
- Description: Removing the existing pavement and a portion of the existing base course; placing a new base aggregate layer for drainage and new concrete pavement; replacing pavement on the interchange ramps at US 63 and WIS 70; replacing the pavement on WIS 70 between the ramp terminals; rebuilding existing intersection approaches; and rehabilitating the bridges on US 53 over the Yellow River and US 63 and WIS 70 bridge over US 53.
- Traffic impacts: Motorists will encounter single-lane closures.
Highway: US 53
- Location: 26th Avenue north of Rice Lake to Pine Grove Road south of Sarona
- Schedule: Sept. 5 to October 2024
- Cost: $21.89 million
- Description: Removing the existing and base course, placing a new base aggregate layer for drainage, replacing the pavement, rebuilding intersection approaches and installing cable barrier in the median between 26th and 27th avenues and a friction surface on the pavement in the same area to reduce crossover crashes.
- Traffic impacts: Inside lane closures are planned to start Monday, Sept. 18 for the construction of median crossovers at 26th Avenue. In the work zone, the speed limit will be reduced to 55mph. During 2023, motorists will encounter single-lane closures as work is completed, and a reduced speed limit of 55 mph when lanes are closed.
Last Update: Sep 15, 2023 3:26 pm CDT
