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: East Branch Upper Pine Creek Bridge north of the village of Dallas
• Schedule: June 15 to early August
• Cost: $ $501,425
• Description of work: Replacing the bridge and reconstructing 149.5 feet of approaching roadway
• Traffic impacts: County O is closed at the structure, and traffic is being detoured via County D, WIS 25 and County U.
• 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: Wisconsin Avenue and County O remain open to traffic, but motorists will encounter lane closures for the switch to permanent traffic signals and removal of temporary signals.

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 before and after bridges over 20th Street, Knapp Street, County I, the Chetek River and Carlson School Road
    • The speed limit is reduced to 55 mph.
  • Single-lane closures on County I through the duration of the project
  • Closure of the ramp from County I to southbound US 53
  • The ramp closure is anticipated to be in place through Oct. 1.
    • Traffic is being detoured on northbound US 53 to the US 8 interchange, where motorists will exit and then re-enter southbound US 53.

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 in Cumberland
• 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 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 is open to emergency vehicles only through late July.

Burnett County

Highway: WIS 35

• Location: Lanquist Street in Siren to WIS 70 East
• Schedule: May 4 to mid-October
• Cost: $8.55 million
• Description of work: Replacing pavement with new concrete from Lanquist Street to Southshore Drive, replacing storm sewer and expanding its capacity from Lanquist to Works Progress Street, resurfacing the roadway from Southshore Drive to WIS 70 East, reviewing and revising access points, improving turning movements in all quadrants at the WIS 35 and WIS 70/County B intersection in the city of Siren, replacing traffic signals, replacing curb ramps and removing extra lanes from Park Street to Northshore Drive to reduce flooding potential
• Traffic impacts: WIS 35 remains open to traffic, but motorists will encounter:
  • Shoulder closures on northbound WIS 35 from Lanquist Street to Bradley Street; southbound WIS 35 from the WIS 35/70 intersection to Bacon Street; and east- and westbound WIS 70 from 1st Avenue to the WIS 35/70 intersection
  • Lanes closures controlled by flagging on north- and southbound WIS 35 from Southshore Drive to the roundabout
  • Various single-lane closures controlled by flagging on north- and southbound US 53 from Southshore Drive to WIS 35/70 roundabout
• WIS 35 is only open to southbound traffic from Lanquist Street to Southshore Drive, and northbound car and heavy truck traffic is being detoured.
  • Northbound car detour: County B, 4th Avenue North and Elizabeth Street
  • Truck detour: WIS 70/MN 70, I-35 (MN), MN 48/WIS 77 and WIS 35

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: WIS 46 is closed from 140th Avenue to 150th Avenue.
  • This closure is anticipated to be in place through mid-July.
  • Traffic is being detoured via US 8 and WIS 35.
  • Motorists might encounter single-lane closures controlled by flagging on other segments of the project.

Highway: US 8

• Location: WIS 35 North to WIS 46 South
• Schedule: May 11 to late August
• Cost: $7.52 million
• Description of work: Milling 2.25 inches of existing asphaltic surface and placing 3.25 inches new asphalt; reconstructing two locations of roadway where sloughing is occurring; widening the paved shoulders from 3 to 5 feet; installing centerline and shoulder rumble strips; cleaning, extending, lining or replacing existing culverts and replacing deteriorating end walls on some structures; replacing or adjusting guardrail; and completing roadside maintenance, including clearing and ditching
• Traffic impacts: US 8 remains open to traffic, but motorists will encounter single-lane closures controlled by flagging for paving operations. In addition, a pilot car will lead motorists through the work zone.

Rusk County

Highway: US 8

• Location: Little Soft Maple Creek northwest of Weyerhaeuser
• Schedule: June 23 to late September
• Cost: $1.92 million
• Description of work: Constructing a temporary bypass on the north side of US 8 to carry traffic during construction, removing the existing box culvert, constructing a single-span bridge half at a time to replace it, replacing roadway approach pavement on both sides of the structure and installing guardrail
• Traffic impacts: US 8 remains open to traffic, but motorists will encounter single-lane closures controlled by flagging from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Sawyer County

Highway: County D

• Location: Chippewa River Bridge east of Exeland in the town of Weirgor
• Schedule: March 23 to late 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.

Highway: WIS 70

• Location: County GG in the unincorporated community of Loretta in Sawyer County to Pixley Wilderness West Road in the Price County town of Lake west of Fifield
• Schedule: June 15 to early August
• Cost: $5.5 million
• Description of work: Removing a portion of the existing asphalt, repaving the roadway with new asphalt pavement, installing centerline rumble strips, replacing or repairing guardrail as needed, placing gravel along the shoulders and replacing pavement markings
• Traffic impacts: WIS 70 remains open to traffic, but motorists will encounter lane closures controlled by flagging.

Washburn County

• No current WisDOT projects

Milwaukee’s current wastewater treatment contract holder, Veolia Water Milwaukee, is under fire, with some calling for an audit.

Advertisement

It goes without saying that Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) is an essential community asset.

Recently, MMSD has been in the news and not in a good way. The MMSD Commission voted to approve an audit of the district’s private wastewater operator. This is less than six weeks after the community organization Common Ground launched a public campaign calling for an audit of Veolia Water Milwaukee, alleging mismanagement of the Jones Island and South Shore wastewater treatment facilities.

I was briefly on a six-member MMSD advisory committee for the 1998 United Water Services contract. Now 28 years, and 2008, 2018, contracts later, the question is what firm to hire for the 2028 contract. I read Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Urban Milwaukee articles, whistle-blower letters and other materials and jotted down concerns listed below (there are others):

• Veolia cut corners on treatment time and process chemicals
• Veolia allowed MMSD assets — buildings and process equipment — to deteriorate
• Veolia provided inadequate staffing
• Employees, particularly those who questioned management, were treated poorly
• Reversing these conditions will be very expensive, if it is even possible to do so