Northwest Wisconsin Highway Construction Update - May 1, 2026

NORTHWEST WISCONSIN -- 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: Wisconsin Avenue intersection in Rice Lake
• Schedule: April 20 to late September
• Cost: $1.1 million
• Description of work: Realigning and extending the County O left-turn lanes, constructing right-turn lanes both north and south along Wisconsin Avenue, replacing traffic signals and adding sidewalk and a pedestrian crossing on County O
• Traffic impacts: The intersection of County O and Wisconsin Avenue remains open, but motorists will encounter single-lane closures on County O and Wisconsin Avenue.

Highway: US 53 South

• Location: Bridges between Cameron and New Auburn, structures over US 8, Knapp Street, County A, County AA and Carlson School Road, 2025; and structures over 20th Street, County I and the Chetek River, 2026
• Schedule: Feb. 23 to October, 2026 construction; May 5, 2025, to October 2026, overall project
• Cost: $10.91 million
• Description of 2026 work: Replacing the decks on the bridges over the Chetek River and 20th Street; replacing the bridge over County I; milling pavement on both sides of each structure and placing new asphalt pavement on the approaches; milling and overlaying the pavement on the southbound US 53 on- and off-ramps at the County I interchange; and replacing guardrail, pavement markings and signage
• Traffic impacts: Southbound US 53 remains open to traffic, but:
  • Motorists will encounter single-lane closures on southbound US 53 and a reduced speed limit of 60 mph in work zones.
    • Southbound US 53 will be closed at County I from 10 p.m. Monday, May 4 to 5 a.m. Tuesday, May 5, so girders can be set on the bridge over County I.
      • Southbound US 53 traffic will be detoured via the off- and on-ramps at the County I interchange.
• Motorists also will encounter single-lane closures on County I for the duration of the bridge replacement project.
  • County I will be closed at southbound US 53 from 10 p.m. May 4 to 5 a.m. May 5.

Highway: US 63

• Location: Charrie Lane in Cumberland to the Washburn County line
• Schedule: April 13 to late June
• Cost: $4.64 million
• Description of work: Removing a portion of the existing pavement and paving new asphalt, installing centerline and edge line rumble strips, cleaning or repairing culverts, reconstructing sidewalk curb ramps to Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance and placing new pavement markings
• Traffic impacts: US 63 remains open to traffic, but motorists will encounter single-lane closures controlled by flagging from:
  • 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays
  • 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fridays

Highway: US 63

• Location: Beaver Dam Lake
• Schedule: April 24 to early September
• Cost: $2.64 million
• Description of work: Removing the existing box culvert carrying Beaver Dam Lake under US 63, building a bridge with a longer span to replace the box culvert, removing the Lake Street Bridge, dredging Beaver Dam Lake under US 63 and the Lake Street Bridge, building an ATV trail on the east side of US 63 from Arcade Avenue to Nedvidek Street, reconstructing US 63 on both sides of the new bridge, reconstructing portions of Lake Street, Nedvidek Street and Babcock Avenue to match the raised profile of US 63 and constructing curb, gutter and sidewalk
• Traffic impacts: US 63 is closed to through traffic on both sides of the structure.
  • Traffic is being detoured via WIS 48, US 53 and WIS 70
  • In addition:
    • Lake Street is closed just past the boat landing.
    • Access to the boat landing is being maintained.
    • The Lake Street Bridge 

Burnett County

• No current WisDOT projects

Polk County

Highway: WIS 46

• Location: US 8 to WIS 35
• Schedule: April 15 to early October
• Cost: $8.49 million
• Description of work: Recycling 4 inches of pavement in place on the rural portion of the project; placing 2.75 inches of new asphalt and installing centerline rumble strips; milling 3.25 inches of pavement in the village of Balsam Lake and placing 3.35 inches of new asphalt; cleaning, extending, lining or replacing culverts; replacing or adjusting existing guardrail; and replacing curb ramps in the village of Balsam Lake
• Traffic impacts: Motorists will encounter moving lane closures controlled by flagging.

Rusk County

• No current WisDOT projects

Sawyer County

Highway: WIS 13 and WIS 77

• Location: WIS 13, Price County line to Morse Road between Mellen and Glidden, and WIS 77, Teal River Bridge northeast of Hayward
• Schedule: WIS 13, April 27 to late October; Work on WIS 77 expected to start in August
• Cost: $5.19 million
• Description of work: WIS 13, replacing, resetting, extending or abandoning more than 50 existing culvert pipes and constructing a new box culvert at Becky Creek; making concrete surface repairs at the bridge over Dryden Creek northwest of Glidden; patching the deck on the bridge over the Chippewa River southeast of Glidden; overlaying the deck with concrete on the bridge over Butternut Creek south of Butternut; and replacing guardrail at the structures and one other location in the project limits; WIS 77, milling and overlaying the existing bridge deck, overlaying concrete pavement approach slabs, milling and overlaying roadway approaches, making concrete surface repairs on parapets, grouting voids under abutments, supplementing riprap at abutments, adjusting guardrail and installing new pavement markings
• Traffic impacts: WIS 13 remains open to traffic, but motorists will encounter single-lane closures controlled by flagging or temporary traffic signals.

Highway: County D

• Location: Chippewa River Bridge east of Exeland in the town of Weirgor
• Schedule: March 23 to early July
• Cost: $1.08 million
• Description of work: Replacing the bridge deck, making concrete surface repairs to the abutments, piers and girders, completing bridge joint, shoulder and guardrail work and replacing the roadway approach pavement
• Traffic impacts: County D is closed at the Chippewa River.
  • Traffic is being detoured via WIS 40, WIS 70 and WIS 27.

Washburn County

• No current WisDOT projects

Regionwide Pavement Marking Project

Highway: Various

• Location: Barron, Bayfield, Buffalo, Burnett, Clark, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, St. Croix, Taylor, Trempealeau and Washburn
• Schedule: April 14 to early Augus
• Cost: $2.08 million
• Description of work: Replacing pavement markings
• Traffic impacts: Motorists will encounter daytime and nighttime lane closures depending on the location of work. For the coming week, crews are expected to work on:
  • US 12, US 63 east junction in St. Croix County to North Oak Avenue in Menomonie in Dunn County
  • WIS 29, WIS 35/65 to US 63 North, St. Croix County
  • WIS 35, WIS 65 to I-94
  • US 12, Ross Road to WIS 65, St. Croix County
  • US 12, WIS 65 to US 63, St. Croix County