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: County P (1st Avenue) in Cumberland east to WIS 25 west of Rice Lake
- Schedule: June 10 to mid-October
- Cost: $5.97 million
- Description: Removing a portion of the existing pavement and placing new asphalt; replacing deteriorated sections of curb and gutter; completing maintenance work on culverts, including repairing separated joints, replacing detached or corroded apron end walls, lining pipes, placing riprap, performing ditching and grubbing near culvert ends, adding culvert markers and replacing all four wing walls of the Hickey Creek box culvert; replacing guardrail; and adding centerline and shoulder rumble strips where appropriate and widening the existing three-foot paved shoulders to five feet to address run-off-the-road crashes.
- Traffic impacts: Motorists will encounter lane closures controlled by flagging at times during work hours.
Highway: US 53
- Location: 26th Avenue north of Rice Lake to Pine Grove Road south of Sarona
- Schedule: Sept. 5, 2023, to November 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 high-friction surface treatment on the pavement in the same area to reduce crossover and run-off-the-road crashes.
- Traffic impacts: North- and southbound traffic on US 53 is restricted to a single lane in each direction on the northbound lanes.
- The speed limit is reduced to 55 mph in the work zone.
Burnett County
- No current projects
Polk County
- No current projects
Rusk County
Highway: US 8
- Location: River Avenue in Ladysmith to the Price County line
- Schedule: May 6 to late August
- Cost: $3.74 million
- Description: From River Avenue in Ladysmith to Prentice Street in Glen Flora: Milling and overlaying approximately 11 miles of US 8 with asphalt; replacing or removing deteriorated guardrail; replacing deteriorated sections of curb and gutter; reconstructing curb ramps to meet Americans With Disabilities Act standards, where feasible; constructing a short segment of sidewalk in the village of Tony between Linden and Walnut streets to provide continuity; replacing two culverts in Glen Flora; installing new pavement markings; placing centerline rumble strips in rural areas; and paving the shoulders, including an additional two feet, and add shoulder rumble strips to minimize run-off-the-road crashes. From Prentice Street to the Price County line: Removing 2.25 inches of asphalt from US 8 and replacing it with 3.25 inches of new asphalt from Prentice Street to German Street in the village of Hawkins and from Washington Street in Hawkins to the east Rusk County line; removing the full depth of asphalt pavement and up to 2 inches of the underlying concrete pavement from German to Washington streets in Hawkins, cleaning and patching that segment, replacing the curb and gutter and placing a minimum of 3.25 inches of new asphalt to match the new concrete gutter; replacing curb ramps in Hawkins with Americans With Disabilities Act-compliant curb ramps at the crosswalks on US 8 at Main Street and at the west side of Washington Street; removing an existing parking lane that is no longer needed for the telecommunication business east of Main Street in Hawkins; replacing a culvert east of Hawkins; replacing curb and gutter where needed at rural side road intersections throughout the project limits; installing centerline rumble strips in rural areas to enhance safety; and adding shoulder gravel to match the resurfaced elevation of US 8 and at gravel side road intersections.
- Traffic impacts: Motorists will encounter lane closures controlled by flagging during work hours. In addition, work might result in shoulder closures.
Sawyer County
Highway: WIS 70
- Location: Log Creek northwest of the unincorporated community of Oxbo
- Schedule: May 28 to mid-September
- Cost: $898,575
- Description: Removing the existing two steel culverts, constructing a bridge to replace them, replacing the asphalt pavement on both ends of the bridges and installing guardrail and signage.
- Traffic impacts: Motorists will encounter single-lane closures controlled by temporary stop signs.
Washburn County
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: Traffic on US 53 is limited to a single lane in each direction, with north- and southbound traffic operating in the northbound lanes.
- County A is closed at US 53, and traffic is detoured via County H.
- Traffic on the WIS 70 bridge over US 53 east of Spooner has been shifted to the south side of the structure, with one lane operating in each direction and an 11-foot lane width restriction.
- The southbound US 53 exit ramp to US 63 will be closed starting Monday, Aug. 19. The closure is anticipated to remain in place until Friday, Sept. 6.
Highway: US 53
- Location: 26th Avenue north of Rice Lake to Pine Grove Road south of Sarona
- Schedule: Sept. 5, 2023, to November 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 high-friction surface treatment on the pavement in the same area to reduce crossover and run-off-the-road crashes.
- Traffic impacts: North- and southbound traffic on US 53 is restricted to a single lane in each direction on the northbound lanes.
- The speed limit is reduced to 55 mph in the work zone.
Northwest Region
Highway: Segments of WIS 13, WIS 27, WIS 35, WIS 40, WIS 48, WIS 54, WIS 72, WIS 85, WIS 88, WIS 93, WIS 112, WIS 124, US 2, US 8, US 53, US 63 and I-94.
- Location: Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Buffalo, Burnett, Chippewa, Clark, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson, Monroe, Pepin, Pierce, Rusk, Sawyer, Trempealeau and Washburn counties.
- Schedule: May 8 to mid-October
- Cost: $2.55 million
- Description: Replacing epoxy pavement markings.
- Traffic impacts: Motorists will encounter moving lane closures where crews are working. The anticipated schedule for this week includes:
- Continuing working on US 8 in Barron County; WIS 124, Chippewa County; US 53, Eau Claire County; and I-94, Jackson and Monroe counties.
Last Update: Aug 17, 2024 12:59 pm CDT
