Labor Day travelers will see less orange as construction wraps up

August 25, 2008

Law enforcement continues drunk driving crackdown

Construction crews will take a break over the Labor Day holiday, which means holiday travelers will find fewer work zones as they enjoy the last "official" three-day weekend of summer. But while construction eases, law enforcement agencies will be continuing their "Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest." crackdown to get intoxicated drivers off the streets.

"We're nearing the end of the construction season so many projects are wrapping up, including the biggest in the state, the Marquette Interchange in downtown Milwaukee," said Don Greuel of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation's Bureau of Project Development. "Travelers will still see orange barrels, lane shifts, and other signs of road improvement projects at several locations across the state and they should be prepared for slower traffic where lanes are restricted or pavement is rough. Those are locations where congestion may occur due to the heavier than normal traffic volumes we expect this weekend."

Greuel said construction crews will open up as many lanes as possible starting at noon on Friday, August 29. They won't resume work until 6 a.m. Tuesday, September 2.

Greuel noted that the Marquette Interchange, for which all lanes of traffic were opened earlier this month, provides wider ramps, right-hand entrance and exit ramps, and longer merge lanes, making it safer and improving traffic flow. He noted that some in-car navigation systems may not be updated with the interchange's new design features and recommended people planning to drive through it go to www.mchange.org to familiarize themselves with how to travel through it.

Elsewhere in the state, travelers will find work zones along US 51 through Wausau, US 51 north of Tomahawk, and on WIS 441 in Appleton. (A list of other projects is below.)

While motorists will have mostly open roads for their journey, they'll need to watch their speeds and avoid drinking and driving. More than 300 law enforcement agencies will continue their "Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest." anti-drunk driving campaign through the Labor Day weekend.

"We want everyone to return home safely and will have all available troopers on duty during the three-day holiday," said the Bureau of Transportation Safety's Major Dan Lonsdorf. "If we find that you are speeding, driving while impaired or otherwise driving irresponsibly, we'll take the appropriate enforcement action."

Major Lonsdorf noted that peak holiday travel times are expected to be between noon and 8 p.m. Friday, August 29 and again on Monday, September 1.

Below are some of the work zones that motorists may encounter during the Labor Day weekend.  Numbers relate to position on attached map (PDF-583.12 KB).  Note:  attached map is available in .ai and .eps file formats - please contact Mike Goetzman at (608) 266-2520 or michael.goetzman@dot.state.wi.us.

1. I-43 at Moorland Road, 1 mile. Bridge and road reconstruction has shifted all traffic to one side of the median. Two lanes of travel in each direction are available. Moorland Road will have one lane open in each direction. There may be ramp closures.
2. WIS 50 between WIS 67 and Geneva Street between Lake Geneva and Delavan, 1 mile. WIS 50 is closed and detoured between WIS 67 and Geneva National Boulevard. The detour follows WIS 67, I-43 and US 12.
3. WIS 32 between I-43 and Grand Avenue at Port Washington, 1 mile. Reconstruction has closed WIS 32 with a detour via I-43.
4. US 41 at Fond du Lac, 7.4 miles. Highway is open with two lanes in each direction but lanes have an 11-foot width restriction in each direction.
5. WIS 441 through Menasha/Appleton area, 10 miles. Bridge work at the Fox River reduces traffic to one lane in each direction at the Fox River.
6. I-43 north of Manitowoc, 6 miles. Ramp repairs at WIS 147 and at Manitowoc County K and V interchanges may cause restrictions on ramps.
7. WIS 22 between River Bank Road and Spruce Road in Shawano County, 4.4 miles. Bridge replacement has closed WIS 22 with detour via WIS 156, Shawano County K, and WIS 29.
8. US 12 between Baraboo and Lake Delton, 4.7 miles. Pavement repairs require reduced speeds through the work zone. Congestion can be expected during peak travel periods.
9. WIS 23 between Marquette County M and 8th Drive. 1 mile. Reconstruction and bridge replacement has closed WIS 23 requiring detour via I-39, WIS 21, and WIS 22.
10. WIS 13 between Adams County O and D, 3.4 miles. Construction has reduced lane width to 9 feet in each direction.
11. US 10 southwest of Marshfield near Wood County B, .3 mile. Bridge replacement has closed US 10 with detour via WIS 73 and WIS 13.
12. WIS 153 at Mosinee. Bridge work has reduced lane width to 10 feet in each direction.
13. I-39/US 51 at Kowalski Road south of Wausau, .3 mile. Bridge construction has closed shoulders on I-39/US 51. No lane restrictions.
14. US 51/WIS 29 in Wausau, 8 miles. Two lanes open in each direction in work zone. Detailed information is available at www.5129wausau.com.
15. US 51 from Oneida County N just north of US 8 to Oneida County D, 6 miles. Traffic is on a temporary roadway with lane width restricted to 12 feet in each direction. Speeds reduced to 45 miles per hour in the work zone.
16. WIS 17 south of Rhinelander, 6 miles. Culvert replacement has shifted all WIS 17 traffic to the northbound lane. Traffic is controlled by a traffic signal through the work zone. Lanes have a 12-foot width restriction.
17. WIS 47 between Woodruff and Lac du Flambeau, 1 mile. Bridge replacement work has reduced traffic to one lane with traffic controlled by a traffic signal through the work zone. Lanes have an 11-foot width restriction.
18. WIS 13 at Abbotsford, 1 mile. Traffic has a 10-foot width restriction in each direction on WIS 13. Business 29 in Abbotsford is restricted to one lane in each direction.
19. US 53 southbound north of Chippewa Falls, 1 mile. Traffic is reduced to one lane southbound between Chippewa County S and the Chippewa River.
20. WIS 27/70 between Ojibwa and Stone Lake Road in Sawyer County, .3 mile. Bridge replacement has closed WIS 27/70 with auto detour via Ogden Avenue, Old Highway 70, WIS 27 and WIS 70. Truck detour begins at Radisson via WIS 40, US 8, WIS 27, and WIS 70.
21. US 2 in Ashland, 1.3 mile. Between Beaser Avenue and Stuntz Avenue, traffic is limited to one lane westbound. One lane eastbound is detoured via Beaser Avenue, 6th St. and Stuntz Avenue.
22. WIS 13 at the Thompson Creek Bridge in Washburn and at the Onion River north of Washburn, .2 mile. Bridge repairs reduce traffic to one lane with traffic controlled by signals.

For more information, contact:
Don Greuel, Bureau of Project Development
(608) 516-1793, donald.greuel@dot.state.wi.us

Major Dan Lonsdorf, Bureau of Transportation Safety
(608) 266-3048, daniel.lonsdorf@dot.state.wi.us