Northwest Region construction update

August 22, 2008

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) is providing a weekly update on construction projects in the northwest region, which includes the counties of Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Buffalo, Burnett, Chippewa, Clark, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Rusk, Sawyer, St. Croix, Taylor, Trempealeau and Washburn counties.

Construction-related traffic impacts are subject to change and are dependent on favorable weather conditions.

Ashland County

No state construction projects currently in progress.

Barron County

No state construction projects currently in progress.

Bayfield County

WIS 13
Location: Thompson Creek and Onion River Bridges
Schedule: June 12 - September 5, 2008
Cost: $382,000
Description: Overlay bridge decks with concrete
Traffic impact: Traffic will be one lane at each bridge controlled by signals. One lane operation began Monday, June 16. The bridges are several miles apart. Each project is approximately 0.1 miles long.

US 63
Location: Hayward – Drummond Road (Sunset Road – County N)
Schedule: August 22 - September 30, 2008
Cost: $2.8 million
Description: Resurface existing roadway, improve shoulders for five-foot bike lanes, upgrade five intersections, replacing permanent signs.
Traffic impact: US 63 and all side roads will be open to through traffic during construction. Single lane closures during the day with flagging crews to assist motorists. Two lanes will be open at night.

Buffalo County

No state construction projects currently in progress.

Burnett County

No state construction projects currently in progress.

Chippewa County

US 53
Location: Chippewa River to railroad bridge
Schedule: April 21 - October 3, 2008
Cost: $2,924,606
Description: Bridge rehabilitation work
Traffic impact: Counter directional traffic on southbound lane trough work zone with 14 foot lane width restrictions. Overlay on WIS 29 eastbound structure over US 53 complete and open to all traffic with no restrictions.

WIS 27
Location: Augusta – Cornell Road (10th Avenue – Johnson Road)
Schedule: August 18 - October 10, 2008
Cost: $1.6 million
Description: This project will consist of chip seal, mill and overlay, crack seal and new signs. 
Traffic impact: Traffic will be reduced to one lane with flaggers directing traffic. Both lanes will be open in the evenings.

US 53
Location: County S and Duncan Creek
Schedule: April 2 - August 29, 2008
Cost: $2,043,764
Description: Bridge rehabilitation work
Traffic impact: Single lane closures on north and southbound US 53 with width restrictions of 13 feet. Traffic opened to both lanes on northbound US 53 bridge over County S.

Clark County

No state construction projects currently in progress.

Douglas County

WIS 105
Location: Oliver Bridge to Tower Avenue
Description: Asphaltic pavement milling, concrete surface removal, asphaltic patching of concrete joints, asphaltic pavement overlay, reshouldering, culvert lining, riprap, slope repair, beam guard, signing and pavement marking
Traffic impact: The detour for the railroad crossing work near the east end of the project is now scheduled to begin on Monday, August 4. The detour is approximately six blocks long on the east end of the projects and will use 58th Street and Albany Avenue as the signed detour route.

Dunn County

US 29
Location: WIS 128 to Red Cedar River in Menomonie 
Cost: $3.6 million
Description: Pavement project
Traffic impact: Flagging crews will direct traffic.

Eau Claire County

US 12 (Clairemont Avenue)
Location: Craig Road – US 53
Schedule: April 21 – November 7, 2008
Cost: $12,386,130
Description: US 12 reconstruction
Traffic impact: Clairemont Avenue traffic will be switched onto westbound US 12 from Craig Road to Patton Street on Sunday night, July 27. The remaining portion of traffic from Patton Street will be switched at the end of the project on July 29.

WIS 27
Location: Eau Claire River bridge North of Augusta 
Schedule: August 31, 2007 – Ocotber 15, 2008 
Cost: $3,788,188.10
Description: Bridge replacement over Eau Claire River
Traffic impact: Minimal – traffic is now on the new bridge.

US 53
Location: Old Town Hall Road to Golf Road
Schedule: April - September 1, 2008
Cost: $5.4 million
Description: Constructing roundabout at the Old Town Hall Road intersection and other road improvements.
Traffic impact: Traffic is on one lane northbound and one lane southbound on US 53. Nighttime closures are still in effect through Friday/Saturday morning and possibly Monday and Tuesday nights of next week.

I-94, WIS 121
Location: Hixton, Northfield
Cost: $1.7 million
Description: Re-decking bridges over I-94 in Northfield and Hixton
Traffic impact: Traffic on eastbound I-94 over WIS 95 in Hixton will be open to two 11-foot lanes with merging ramp traffic. WIS 121 traffic over I-94 in Northfield will remain restricted to one lane in each direction with the use of temporary traffic signals. May be various lane closures on I-94 eastbound and westbound. Haugen Road over I-94 is also closed.

Eastbound I-94
Location: Black River Falls – Tomah
Schedule: July 2008 – September 2008
Description: Dowel bar retrofit and concrete repair
Traffic impact: Intermittent weekday single lane closures between 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday through Friday.

I-94
Location: Osseo to Black River Falls in Jackson County
Schedule: April – August 2008
Description: Bridge maintenance on four bridges over I-94 and one bridge on I-94.
Traffic impact: Intermittent single lane closures during overhead bridge work.

Jackson County

No state construction projects currently in progress.

Pepin County

WIS 85
Location: Bear Creek in Pepin County
Schedule: July 14 - October 10, 2008
Description: Bridge replacement project over Bear Creek
Traffic impact: Traffic will be routed around the work zone on a temporary bypass and structure. Work will begin on the bypass construction on Monday, July 14. Once that is complete (about a week and a half), traffic will be switched and the bridge removal and subsequent construction of the new bridge will begin.

Pierce County

No state construction projects currently in progress.

Polk County

WIS 46
Location: City of Amery, Keller Avenue, Griffen Street intersection
Schedule: July 21 - August 29, 2008
Cost: $370,000
Description: Intersection improvement
Traffic impact: WIS 46 and Griffen Street will be kept open to traffic at all times. Flagging single-lane traffic during the daytime will only occur during certain construction activities. As necessary, a limited use of drums and barricades will be used for stage construction.

Rusk County

No state construction projects currently in progress.

Sawyer County

WIS 27/70
Location: Ojibwa (Sawyer County) Chippewa River Bridge
Schedule: June 6 - October 15, 2008
Cost: $1.93 million
Description: Substructure replacement
Traffic impact: WIS 27/70 is detoured.

St. Croix County

No state construction projects currently in progress.

Taylor County

WIS 73
Location: Branch Hay Creek Bridge-WIS 64 east junction
Schedule: May 5 - September 12, 2008 
Cost: $3,505,696
Description: New box culvert installed, removing railroad overhead and building an at-grade crossing
Traffic impact: Single lane closures with flagging operations through the middle of May. Crews will continue with intersection work at WIS 64 and County F in preparation for the detour. On May 13, WIS 73 will be closed from County S to WIS 64 and detoured via County F and WIS 64 through Lublin.

WIS 64
Location: WIS 73 – Coyote Drive
Schedule: August 11 - 29, 2008
Cost: $3.5 million
Description: Resurface project
Traffic impact: No traffic impact

WIS 73
Location: Branch Hay Creek Bridge – WIS 64 East
Schedule: August 20 - September 12, 2008
Cost: $3.5 million
Description: Marsh excavation, railroad bridge removal, new box culvert, resurface project.
Traffic impact: Road closed. Detour route will be at County F and WIS 64.

Trempealeau County

US 53
Location: Whitehall – Osseo
Schedule: July 21 – November 2008
Description: Resurfacing 10.8 mile stretch of highway
Traffic impact: Open to traffic with flagging operation.

Washburn County

No state construction projects currently in progress.

Motorists should slow down, use caution and stay alert when driving through construction zones. To avoid delays, consider taking an alternative route and avoid peak travel periods. Before leaving home, check the following sources for information about work zones and detours:

• Call 1-800-ROAD-WIS (762-3947) for statewide road construction information.
• Visit the WisDOT Web site for statewide driving conditions and other travel-related information (www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/index.htm). Updates on the Marquette Interchange Project in Milwaukee are available at www.mchange.org.
• For a free copy of "Travel Easy," showing the state's largest construction projects, call (800) 242-2514 or e-mail a request to opa.exec@dot.state.wi.us.

For more information, contact:
Chris Ouellette, Regional Communications Manager 
(715) 833-9814, chris.ouellette@dot.state.wi.us