WisDOT: Few highway projects to slow Memorial Day weekend travelers

For more information, contact:

Don Greuel, Project Development

(608) 267-7774, Donald.Greuel@dot.wi.gov

Major Dan Lonsdorf, Director, Bureau of Transportation Safety

(608) 266-3048, Daniel.Lonsdorf@dot.wi.gov

But buckle up. A Click it or Ticket campaign continues through the weekend

Most highway construction projects will be put on hold through the three-day Memorial Day holiday weekend. According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), there will only be a few main highways with lane restrictions, including I-94 south of Milwaukee, I-94 east of Madison, and Highways 41 near Oshkosh and 172 at Green Bay.

“We’ve had some great weather this spring and that’s allowed us to stay on track, and in many cases, get ahead of schedule,” said WisDOT’s Don Greuel. “But while many work zones will be opened up for traffic for the holiday, we still encourage motorists to slow down, leave a little extra space, and stay alert for lane shifts, narrow lanes, and rough pavement.”

Most work will cease in work zones by noon on Friday, May 28 and won’t resume until 6 a.m. on Tuesday, June 1.

But while construction and maintenance crews will be joining much of the rest of the nation in celebrating the Memorial Day weekend, Wisconsin State Patrol and other law enforcement officers will remain on the job.

“We’ll be in the midst of a national “Click it or ticket” campaign during the Memorial Day weekend,” said Major Dan Lonsdorf of the Wisconsin State Patrol. “The Click It or Ticket enforcement strategy is simple and direct. Officers will stop you for not wearing a safety belt, and you will get a ticket; passengers, too.”

Lonsdorf added that consistent safety belt use provides the most effective protection against being ejected from a vehicle or thrown around violently inside it during a crash. “The goal of law enforcement agencies throughout the state is ultimately to reduce the number of preventable traffic deaths to zero in Wisconsin,” he said. “To help achieve that goal, everyone must remember that the few seconds it takes to buckle up can prevent a trip to the emergency room, or worse yet, the morgue.”

Lonsdorf said peak travel times during the Memorial Day weekend are expected to be from noon until 8 p.m. on both Friday, May 28 and Monday, May 31.

Among work zones Memorial Day weekend travelers may encounter include (number correlates to position on accompanying map):

1. I-94 between Illinois state line and WIS 50, 4.6 miles. Reconstruction reduces traffic to two lanes in each direction with all traffic on one side of the median. Expect delays during peak travel periods. Additionally, access to the Kenosha welcome center is routed via Kenosha County C and the east frontage road southward to the welcome center.

2. I-94 at Racine County G, 1 mile. Reconstruction of Interstate reduces traffic to two lanes northbound, three southbound, but all traffic is on one side of the median. Expect delays during peak travel periods.

3. I-94 between College and Layton Avenues in Milwaukee County, 3 miles. Auxiliary lanes are closed; northbound ramp to the airport spur (access to General Mitchell International Airport) is closed. Use College Avenue exit and follow signs if traveling to the airport.

4. US 45 between WIS 50 and WIS 11, 8 miles. Reconstruction has closed highway with detour via WIS 50, WIS 75 and WIS 11.

5. WIS 11 west of Burlington, 5.5 miles. Reconstruction has closed highway with detour via WIS 36 and WIS 120.

6. Reconstruction of I-43 bridge over WIS 164 requires 11-foot width restriction through the work zone. Two lanes open in each direction.

7. US 41 between WIS 44 and WIS 76, 8 miles. Shoulders are closed in the work zone as is WIS 76 interchange.

8. WIS 76 between Greenville and Stephensville, 4.8 miles. Pavement replacement has closed highway with detour via Outagamie County highways JJ, A, S and WIS 76.

9. WIS 172 at Green Bay, 5.5 miles. Traffic on WIS 172 is reduced to two lanes westbound and one lane eastbound. The US 41 northbound to WIS 172 eastbound ramp is closed, as are the Vanderperren Way on- and off-ramps, the Riverside Drive to WIS 172 westbound ramp, the south loop ramp from WIS 172 eastbound to Riverside Drive, and the south connector ramp between Riverside Drive and Webster Avenue.

10. US 41 between Suamico and Abrams, 9 miles. Road improvements reduce traffic to one lane in each direction through the work zone.

11. WIS 64 between the east Oconto County Line and WIS 32, 12.3 miles. Pavement replacement has closed highway. Detour via WIS 32, Oconto County M, Oconto County B/Z and WIS 64.

12. I-94 between Dane County N and I-39/90 (Badger) Interchange, 5.2 miles. All traffic shifted to one side of the median with speed reduced to 55 mph and 11-foot width restriction through the work zone. Two lanes open in each direction.

13. I-39/90/94 at Lien Road, Madison, 1 mile. Three lanes open in each direction, but speeds are reduced to 55 mph through the work zone. Expect congestion during peak travel times.

14. US 12 between Lake Delton and Baraboo, 5.7 miles. Construction of new US 12 affects traffic at intersections just south of I-90/94 and at Terrytown Road. Expect delays at those locations during peak travel times.

15. WIS 33 between Dodge County A and Trenton Street at Fox Lake, 1 mile. WIS 33 is closed with detour via US 151 and Dodge County A.

16. WIS 153 Mosinee high and low bridges, 1.8 mile. Bridge and road work reduces traffic to one lane in each direction with a 10-foot width restriction.

17. US 51/WIS 29 in Wausau, 6 miles. Two lanes open in each direction. WIS 52 onramp to southbound US 51 is closed. Shoulder widths are reduced to 2 feet throughout the project.

18. US 51 northbound just north of Lincoln County Q, 0.5 mile. Bridge painting requires a lane shift, with one lane using the shoulder through the work zone. Two lanes are open with speeds reduced to 55 mph through the work zone. Southbound traffic is not affected at this time.

19. WIS 173 just north of WIS 21 in Monroe County, 1 mile. Bridge replacement has closed highway with detour via WIS 21 and WIS 80.

20. US 53 between US 8 and 26th Avenue in Barron County, 12 miles. Traffic is shifted to one side of the median with one lane open in each direction.