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US 51/WIS 29 project - purpose

The Wausau Metropolitan area is one of the fastest growing areas in the state. Maintaining an efficient flow of traffic is essential to meeting the area's growing needs and for continued economic growth for communities located along the US 51/WIS 29 corridor.

Current average daily traffic (ADT) on this segment of US 51/WIS 29 is 62,000 vehicles. Future traffic volumes are expected to exceed 115,000 in 2030 - similar to what is currently being traveled between Milwaukee and Kenosha.

The US 51/WIS 29 corridor expansion to six-lanes, combined with improvements to the local road system, will provide motorists with:

• Reduced congestion
• Shorter travel times
• Easier access to local communities
• Efficient north-south routes other than US 51/WIS 29
• Less waiting at signals along local roads

Reconstruction of the WIS 29 east interchange was completed in 2006. The new configuration minimizes conflicts between weaving traffic destined for Marathon County N and increases travel speed on the ramps.

Three of the four ramps for the new WIS 29 west interchange opened in November 2008, providing free flow access (no stoplights) on WIS 29.

Interchanges improvements will:

• Remove existing bottleneck locations by adding additional lanes within the US 51/WIS 29 corridor.
• Increase ramp capacity to prevent congestion from backing up onto US 51/WIS 29.
• Allow for future ramp metering at entrance ramps to maintain the flow of traffic on US 51/WIS 29.

Parts of the local roadway system have been improved to provide efficient alternative routes for local commuter traffic.

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Questions about the content of this page:
North Central Transportation Region, ncr.dtsd@dot.state.wi.us
Last modified: February 27, 2009