WisDOT encourages focus on safety with construction, summer travel underway

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) advises motorists to pack some patience on Wisconsin roads and avoid distractions during the Memorial Day weekend and throughout the summer. According to AAA, more than 750,000 people will travel on Wisconsin roads this holiday weekend. Peak travel times are expected from 1-9 p.m. Thursday (May 22), between noon and 8 p.m. Friday (May 23) and from 4-7 p.m. Monday, May 26. Motorists are encouraged to use the state’s free traveler information resource – 511 Wisconsin, 511wi.gov – to “know before you go” with access to travel speeds, live traffic cameras and locations of roadwork.

“We’re expecting a lot of traffic throughout the summer travel season, so we’re urging drivers to be ‘Midwest nice.’ Be courteous to other travelers, follow posted speed limits, and watch the road ahead,” WisDOT Secretary Kristina Boardman said. “Despite the hustle and bustle of everyday life, we need to remind ourselves, family, and friends to slow down and practice safe driving habits – especially in work zones. Crews work day and night to improve the roads and bridges we rely on and as drivers, we have a duty to protect them. It takes all of us to keep our roads safe – so please buckle up and put your phone down.”

Most road construction will pause over the holiday weekend to open as many lanes as possible. Significant road construction projects that may impact Memorial Day weekend travel include:

North Central Wisconsin

• Forest County: US 8 is closed between Laona and Crandon. Traffic is detoured via WIS 55, WIS 64 and WIS 32.
• Iron County: US 51 near Mercer is restricted to a single lane with temporary traffic signals at the Turtle River.
• Portage County: WIS 66 east of Stevens Point is restricted to a single lane with temporary traffic signals at the Jordan Dam (Plover River).

Northeast Wisconsin

• Brown and Outagamie counties: Two lanes are open each way on I-41 between Appleton and Green Bay. Watch for lane shifts and reduced speed limits.
• Door County: WIS 57 is closed between County T and County V for bridge construction in the town of Jacksonport. No vehicles are allowed to cross the bridge and traffic is detoured via County T and County V.
• Fond du Lac and Winnebago counties: Be alert for lane shifts and reduced speed limits on I-41 between County D (Military Road) in Fond du Lac and WIS 26 near Oshkosh. All lanes remain open during daytime hours.
• Outagamie County: WIS 441 remains open to two lanes each way between I-41 and Oneida Street. Watch for lane shifts and reduced speed limits.
• Sheboygan County: WIS 28 is closed for bridge replacement in Cascade. No vehicles allowed to cross the bridge and traffic must follow detour via County A and WIS 57.
• Sheboygan County: WIS 32 is closed for box culvert replacement between the village of Cedar Grove and County V near Gibbsville. The signed detour follows I-43 and County V.

Northwest Wisconsin

• Ashland County: WIS 13 is open from Butterworth Road to US 2 in Ashland. Watch for lane shifts.
• Barron County: US 53 South between Cameron and New Auburn is reduced to a single lane of traffic at multiple bridge locations. Watch for reduced speed limits.
• Chippewa County: The off-ramp from northbound US 53 to Business 29/County X and the on-ramp from BUS 29/County X to US 53 North in Chippewa Falls are closed.
• Chippewa County: The ramps at the WIS 29/50th Avenue interchange east of Chippewa Falls are closed. Motorists are being detoured by County J and County X. WIS 29 remains open.
• Eau Claire County: Southbound I-94 traffic is shifted on temporary lanes from Otter Creek to Mallard Road. Watch for reduced speed limits.
• Pierce County: US 63 is closed from WIS 72 to County J. Traffic is detoured via WIS 65 and County J.
• St. Croix County: US 63 traffic is operating on a bypass road around a branch of the Rush River in Baldwin.
• St. Croix County: Watch for traffic shifts on westbound I-94 traffic at multiple bridge locations between Roberts and Hudson. Also follow reduced speed limits.
• Trempealeau County: US 10 is closed from County K to Rose Lane in Osseo. Through traffic on US 10 is detoured via US 53, County HH and I-94. Through traffic on US 53, where it runs concurrent with US 10 between its northern and southern legs, is detoured via WIS 121, County HH and I-94.

Southeast Wisconsin

• Milwaukee County: I-41, between Burleigh Street and Good Hope Road, is reduced to two lanes in each direction. The North Avenue entrance ramp to I-43 northbound is closed.
• Milwaukee and Ozaukee counties: At least two lanes remain open in each direction of I-43 between the Marquette Interchange in Milwaukee and the village of Grafton. Motorists can expect various ramp closures throughout the corridor.
• Walworth County: US 12, between WIS 20/WIS 67 and County P/Elkhorn Road, near the city of Whitewater, is closed to through traffic. The signed detour follows County P, County A, and County ES.
• Waukesha County: WIS 83, between Golf Road and Vettelson Road, is closed to through traffic. Traffic is detoured via I-94, WIS 67, and WIS 16.

Southwest Wisconsin

• Columbia County: Three lanes open in each direction on the I-39/90/94 bridge over the Wisconsin River, south of Portage. Watch for lane shifts and reduced speed limits.
• Dane County: I-39/90 in Madison is open to three lanes in each direction. Watch for reduced speed limits.
• Dane and Jefferson counties: Two lanes open in each direction on I-94 between Cottage Grove and Lake Mills.
• Juneau and Sauk counties: I-90/94 near Wisconsin Dells is open to two lanes in each direction.
• Rock County: I-43 is reduced to one lane in each direction from Hart Road to the east Rock County line.

Access real-time information on travel conditions, live traffic cameras, work zones and incidents across Wisconsin:

• Download the free 511 Wisconsin app
• Visit 511wi.gov
• Follow @511WI on X
• Dial 511

Alerts and updates provided via these sites are not intended for use while driving. When driving, your focus should always be on the road ahead.

Motorists may encounter the WisDOT Safety Patrol, sponsored by GEICO, along sections of I-41 in Brown and Outagamie counties, I-43 in Milwaukee County, and I-39/90/94 in Columbia County. The fleet of specially equipped vehicles help manage highway incidents within major construction work zones to keep everyone safe. Coverage hours vary, but most coverage is seven days per week, up to 14 hours per day. Learn more about the WisDOT Safety Patrol.

Most Wisconsin rest areas are open and these facilities offer restrooms, amenities and a break from travel. The rest area along I-90 westbound near Sparta and the rest areas along I-43 near Denmark and Maribel are closed for reconstruction.

WisDOT offers these safety reminders:

• Buckle Up, Phone Down – every trip, every time. Encourage family, friends and co-workers to take the pledge.

· Slow down. Posted speed limits apply to ideal travel conditions. Drivers are required to travel at a “reasonable and prudent” speed based on weather and traffic conditions.

· Eliminate distractions and focus on what’s ahead. Texting while driving is prohibited and very dangerous. It is also illegal in Wisconsin for drivers to use a handheld mobile device in work zones.

· Move over or slow down for emergency responders stopped along a highway with their warning lights flashing. That includes police and fire vehicles, ambulances, tow trucks and highway maintenance vehicles. In addition, state law restricts the use of a cell phone in areas surrounding those vehicles.

· Steer It, Clear It! State law requires drivers to move vehicles involved in a crash out of traffic if no one is hurt and the vehicles can be moved safely. If someone is hurt or the vehicle is disabled, drivers should not risk injury by trying to push the vehicle out of traffic.

Wisconsin Division of Motor Vehicle customer service centers will be closed on Memorial Day, but citizens can conduct DMV business online 24/7 at wisconsindmv.gov.

Travelers may want to consider adding emergency contact information to their license data. Visit wisconsindmv.gov/emergencycontact for the convenient online self-service application. Only law enforcement can access the information and help expedite contact to a family member or other loved one more quickly in the event of an emergency.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.