Northwest Wisconsin Highway Construction Update - July 19, 2024

Road construction project updates for Barron, Burnett, Polk, Rusk, Sawyer, and Washburn counties.

Northwest Wisconsin Highway Construction Update - July 19, 2024

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: County O

  • Location: Decker Drive intersection in Rice Lake
  • Schedule: June 10 to late July
  • Cost: $337,337
  • Description: Constructing raised islands at the intersection; extending the raised median along County O to restrict left-turn movements from County O westbound onto Decker Drive; replacing storm sewer; upgrading sidewalk curb ramps to meet Americans With Disabilities Act standards; and updating signs and pavement markings to direct traffic along Decker Driver to the signalized intersection of County O and Wisconsin Avenue.
  • Traffic impacts: Motorists will encounter one lane in each direction on County O with turn lanes to Decker Drive and one-way traffic on north and south Decker Drive.

Highway: WIS 48

  • Location: County P (1st Avenue) in Cumberland east to WIS 25 west of Rice Lake
  • Schedule: June 10 to early 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: County AA (Golf Road) in Eau Claire to the US 53 bridge over Hill Avenue in Superior
  • Schedule: June 24 to late July
  • Cost: $212,288
  • Description: Cleaning concrete surfaces on bridges and coating the decks of bridges carrying US 53 and the columns on structures that go over US 53 with a concrete sealing compound.
  • Traffic impacts: Motorists will encounter temporary moving lane closures on US 53 as crews complete work today at structures in Chippewa County.
    • No work is anticipated for the week of July 22.

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 US 53 traffic is operating on the southbound lanes, and the speed limit has been reduced to 55 mph.

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.

Highway: WIS 64

  • Location 142nd Street to US 63 South east of New Richmond
  • Schedule: June 10 to early August
  • Cost: $3.96 million
  • Description: Removing a portion of the pavement and placing new asphalt pavement; replacing guardrail; cleaning culvert pipes; sealing joints on a box culvert; and installing a Through Route Activated Warning System aimed at reducing crashes at the intersection of WIS 64 and County T.
  • Traffic impacts: Motorists will encounter shoulder closures and flaggers for temporary lane closures during work hours and should expect delays.

Sawyer County

Highway: WIS 70

  • Location: Log Creek northwest of the unincorporated community of Oxbo
  • Schedule: May 28 to late August
  • 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 their respective outside lanes.
    • Southbound US 53 is expected to be switched to the northbound lanes next week, and traffic will operate bidirectionally on the northbound lanes.
    • The ramp from northbound US 53 to US 63 is closed but expected to reopen to traffic next week.
    • County A is closed at US 53, and traffic is detoured via County H.
    • Traffic on the WIS 70 bridge over US 53 is operating on lanes shifted to the north side of the bridge, with one lane operating in each direction and an 11-foot lane width restriction.

Highway: US 53

  • Location: County AA (Golf Road) in Eau Claire to the US 53 bridge over Hill Avenue in Superior
  • Schedule: June 24 to late July
  • Cost: $212,288
  • Description: Cleaning concrete surfaces on bridges and coating the decks of bridges carrying US 53 and the columns on structures that go over US 53 with a concrete sealing compound.
  • Traffic impacts: Motorists will encounter temporary moving lane closures on US 53 as crews complete work today at structures in Chippewa County.
    • No work is anticipated for the week of July 22.

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 US 53 traffic is operating on the southbound lanes, and the speed limit has been reduced to 55 mph.

Last Update: Jul 19, 2024 3:06 pm CDT

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