Northwest Wisconsin Highway Construction Update - May 9, 2025

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: US 53 South

• Location: Bridges over US 8, 20th Street, Knapp Street, County I, Chetek River, County A, County AA and Carlson School Road between Cameron and New Auburn
• Schedule: May 5 to mid-November, 2025 construction; March 1 to late September, total project completion.
• Cost: $10.91 million
• Description of 2025 work: Replacing the decks on the bridges over County AA and County A; overlaying the decks with concrete on structures over Carlson School Road, Knapp Street and US 8; making miscellaneous repairs to bridges; completing prep work for 2026 construction on the bridges over the Chetek River, County I and 20th Street; and replacing guardrail at the structures.
• Traffic impacts: US 53 South remains open to traffic, but:
  • Motorists will encounter lane closures and a reduced speed limit of 60 mph.
  • In areas with lane closures, there is a maximum width of 15 ¼ feet on the open lane on the structure and 16 feet on the open lane of US 53.
  • Motorists also will encounter intermittent daytime closures of the roads below the bridges during the work week.

Highway: US 63

• Location: Just west of WIS 48 West to Charrie Lane in Cumberland
• Schedule: April 28 to mid-September
• Cost: $3.68 million
• Description: Removing 3.25 inches of the existing pavement and placing 3.25 inches of new asphalt pavement; closing access to the roadway at various locations to improve safety; upgrading pedestrian curb ramps to current Americans With Disabilities Act standards; repairing or replacing curb, gutter and sidewalk; repairing sanitary sewer manholes and storm water inlets as needed; extending the two-way left-turn lane pavement markings between 3rd and 5th avenues; and replacing pavement markings and signage.
• Traffic impacts: US 63 remains open to traffic, but:
  • North- and southbound traffic has 12-foot travel lanes through the entire project.
  • The parking lane and shoulder are closed along the southbound lane.

Highway: US 53

• Location: 26th Avenue north of Rice Lake to Pine Grove Road south of Sarona
• Schedule: Sept. 5, 2023, to late May 2025
• Cost: $21.89 million
• Description of 2025 work: Tensioning cable barrier in the median between 26th and 27th avenues to reduce crossover crashes; placing a high-friction surface treatment on the pavement in the same area to reduce crossover and run-off-the-road crashes; removing and replacing a concrete joint, which will result in a several-day closure of a southbound US 53 lane; and placing final pavement markings.
• Traffic impacts: US 53 is open to traffic, but motorists will encounter lane closures in both directions through the weekend.
  • Single-lane closures in both directions will continue the week of May 12 as crews apply a high-friction surface treatment on US 53; that work is expected to be completed sometime the week of May 19.

Burnett County

• No current projects

Polk County

Highway: County B

• Location: County Z to WIS 35/48 north of Luck
• Schedule: April 25 to late August
• Cost: $2.78 million
• Description: Pulverizing and relaying the existing pavement, paving the road with asphalt and completing shoulder work.
• Traffic impacts: County B remains open to traffic, but motorists might encounter lane closures controlled by flagging during work hours.

Highway: County F

• Location: View Lane east of Dresser to WIS 65 south of Balsam Lake
• Schedule: May 5 to June 17
• Cost: $1.14 million
• Description: Milling a portion of the existing pavement, placing new asphalt pavement, adding shoulder gravel and replacing pavement markings.
• Traffic impacts: County B remains open to traffic, but motorists will encounter lane closures controlled by flagging during work hours.

Highway: County W

• Location: McKenzie
• Schedule: April 25 to late August
• Cost: $2.78 million
• Description: Pulverizing and relaying the existing pavement, paving the road with asphalt and completing shoulder work.
• Traffic impacts: County B remains open to traffic, but motorists might encounter lane closures controlled by flagging during work hours.

Rusk County

• No current projects

Sawyer County

• No current projects

Washburn County

Highway: US 53

• Location: 26th Avenue north of Rice Lake to Pine Grove Road south of Sarona
• Schedule: Sept. 5, 2023, to late May 2025
• Cost: $21.89 million
• Description of 2025 work: Tensioning cable barrier in the median between 26th and 27th avenues to reduce crossover crashes; placing a high-friction surface treatment on the pavement in the same area to reduce crossover and run-off-the-road crashes; removing and replacing a concrete joint, which will result in a several-day closure of a southbound US 53 lane; and placing final pavement markings.
• Traffic impacts: US 53 is open to traffic, but motorists will encounter lane closures in both directions through the weekend.
  • Single-lane closures in both directions will continue the week of May 12 as crews apply a high-friction surface treatment on US 53; that work is expected to be completed sometime the week of May 19.

Regionwide Pavement Marking Project

Highway: Various

• Location: Barron, Sawyer, Polk, and Washburn counties.
• Schedule: April 28 to mid-October
• Cost: $1.97 million
• Description: Replacing epoxy centerlines, edge lines and special markings.
• Traffic impacts: Motorists will encounter moving lane closures or traffic diversions where crews are working.