Road Construction Might Slow Down Motorists Over Fourth of July Weekend

Traffic cones and construction crews can make getting to your Fourth of July celebration a little lengthy. While the Department of Transportation says some construction will be on hold due to the holiday weekend, there still might be lane restrictions leading to delays.

“Most construction and repairs in work zones will cease by noon on Friday, July 1, and won’t resume until Tuesday, July 5,” said Don Greuel of the Wisconsin DOT Project Services Section. “However, the heavy traffic during the holiday weekend will make driving through work zones especially challenging. To prevent crashes, drivers must slow down, pay attention and allow a safety cushion when approaching and traveling through work zones. The most frequent crash in a work zone is a rear-end collision.”

According to a DOT press release, Fourth of July weekend last year was relatively safe in terms of traffic deaths, with only one person killed in a vehicle accident.

“To save lives and reduce injuries, approximately 150 Wisconsin law enforcement agencies will mobilize for the Summer Heat traffic safety campaign, which runs until July 16. Officers will have zero tolerance for speeding motorists and unbuckled drivers and passengers,” said Randy Romanski of the Wisconsin DOT Bureau of Transportation Safety.

The DOT also says that along with driving more cautiously, avoiding peak driving times can reduce frustration and the chance of accidents. Those peak times are 8 p.m. on Friday, as well as between noon and 8 p.m. on Monday.

Here's a list by the DOT of work zones travelers could encounter during the holiday weekend. A corresponding map is on the WisDOT Web site.

• I-94 from Russell Road to the Wisconsin state line, one mile. Lane reductions due to construction.
• I-43/I-894 between Loomis Road and I-43/I-894/I-94 Mitchell Interchange, 1.6 miles and I-94 between College and Howard avenues, four miles. The ramp from I-894 eastbound to I-43/I-94 northbound is closed with a detour via Loomis Road and Howard Avenue. Lane restrictions along I-94 between the Mitchell Interchange and College Avenue, both directions.
• I-94 at Waukesha County P, one mile. Lane shift with two lanes open in each direction on one side of the median.
• WIS 83 between Waukesha County NN and WIS 59, six miles. Reconstruction has closed highway with detour via I-43, WIS 164 and WIS 59.
• I-43 approximately two miles between Cedar Grove and County AA in Sheboygan County. Traffic will be limited to one lane in each direction.
• WIS 42 from Howards Grove to US 151, 17.9 miles. Pavement repairs and bridge and culvert replacements have closed WIS 42 with detour via WIS 42, I-43, and US 151.
• US 41 from one mile south of WIS 26 to Breezewood Lane, 16 miles. Construction requires 11-foot width restriction and has narrowed shoulders. Interchanges at 9th Avenue, US 45, and Breezewood Avenue are closed. Detours are posted.  Expect delays during peak travel periods.
• US 41 at the Scheuring Road Interchange at Green Bay, one mile. The interchange is closed for reconstruction.
• WIS 22 from WIS 29 to Shawano County B, 0.7 mile. Bridge work has closed highway with detour via WIS 29 and WIS 47/55.
• I-94 from the I-39/90/94 Badger Interchange to Dane County N, 5.2 miles. Traffic is limited to two lanes in each direction on one side of the median with a 55 mph speed limit.
• WIS 26 between Fort Atkinson and Watertown, 22 miles. Bypass construction could result in reduced lane widths and closed shoulders throughout the corridor.
• US 12 between I-94 and Baraboo, seven miles. Construction of new highway on new alignment requires some lane restrictions and lane shifts.
• WIS 23 east of Princeton, 5.4 miles. Reconstruction of WIS 23 and a short segment of WIS 23/73 has closed the highway. Detour of WIS 23 is via Green Lake County D, WIS 73, County K and County A. Detour of WIS 73 is via Green Lake County D. WIS 23 and WIS 73 are open to local traffic.
• US 10 between WIS 13/ Wood County BB and Stadt Road, at Marshfield, three miles. One lane in each direction.
• I-39/US 51 at the Foxglove Road overpass, 1 mile. Reconstruction of the northbound bridge over Business 51 and reconstruction of the Foxglove Road overpass has closed on-ramp from Business 51 to northbound I-39. Traffic is detoured via Business 51 and WIS 29.
• WIS 52 from 18th Avenue to 17th Avenue in the city of Wausau. WIS 52 eastbound traffic is reduced to one lane. WIS 52 westbound traffic is open to two lanes. Eighteenth Avenue north of WIS 52 allows right turns in and right turns out only. Eighteenth Avenue south of WIS 52 allows right turns onto 18th Avenue from eastbound WIS 52 only. One-way southbound traffic will be maintained. An indirect left turn lane is provided for WIS 52 westbound traffic to access Stewart Avenue.
• WIS 13 at Medford, two miles. Reconstruction has closed WIS 13 with detour via Taylor County O, Q, and M.
• US 53 at Galesville, 1.1 mile. Bridge replacement has closed US 53 requiring detour via Trempealeau County TT and T.
• US 8 from Glacier Drive in St. Croix Falls to WIS 35, 2.3 miles. Traffic is reduced to one lane in each direction.
• WIS 77 from Deer Lake Road to the east Burnett County line, 2.5 miles. Reconstruction of WIS 77 and replacement of the bridge at Webb Lake narrows has closed WIS 77. Westbound traffic is detoured via US 53, WIS 70 and WIS 35. Eastbound WIS 77 traffic is detoured via WIS 35, WIS 70, and US 53.