The Wisconsin Department of Transportation, (DOT) held a public informational meeting about the future Highway 18 project at the Memorial Building, on Wednesday, Jan. 10.
The project, slated to begin in Spring 2028, is along US 18 and begins at Jefferson Street, and runs 11.2 miles to County Line Road in Montfort.
The winter weather week took a break on that day for roughly 20 people to attend the informational meeting.
During the presentation portion of the meeting, representatives from DOT stated the planned project is needed as the pavement on Highway 18 is deteriorating with age, with alligator and transverse cracking.
The curb ramps are outdated and are not current to ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) standards.
Although the project mostly extends past Fennimore into Montfort, most in attendance where most interested in how this would effect Jefferson Street to Marsden Park Street.
The planned improvements to what the DOT referred to as the “urban portion” of the project included:
•Pavement replacement with subgrade improvements
•Curb and gutter replacement
•Storm sewer replacement
•Curb ramp updates to meet ADA standards
•Water main and sanitary sewer replacement
•Replacement of street lights
•New pavement marking.
Past Marsden Park Street, to WIS 80/Iowa County Line is the “rural portion” of the project, which will include:
•Mill the existing pavement surface an place new asphalt
•Widen paved shoulders (Switzer Road to Dale Drive/Stockyard Road)
•New pavement markings
•Install center line and shoulder rumble strips (Switzer Road to Dale Drive/Stockyard Road)
•Remove and three of four cattle passes.
One question those in attendance had was how traffic would be impacted during the construction.
US 18 would be closed in Fennimore between WIS 61 and Marsden Park Street. However, the intersection of US 18 and Marsden Park Street would remain open for a majority of the construction time to allow local traffic.
During the removal of the cattle passes in the rural portion, US 18 will be closed with detour routes posted
a preliminary detour route of Us 61 to Is 81 to WIS 80. That why changes as the detour route is still under evaluation.
The project again is expected to begin in Spring 2028, with completion sometime that Fall.
The project, slated to begin in Spring 2028, is along US 18 and begins at Jefferson Street, and runs 11.2 miles to County Line Road in Montfort.
The winter weather week took a break on that day for roughly 20 people to attend the informational meeting.
During the presentation portion of the meeting, representatives from DOT stated the planned project is needed as the pavement on Highway 18 is deteriorating with age, with alligator and transverse cracking.
The curb ramps are outdated and are not current to ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) standards.
Although the project mostly extends past Fennimore into Montfort, most in attendance where most interested in how this would effect Jefferson Street to Marsden Park Street.
The planned improvements to what the DOT referred to as the “urban portion” of the project included:
•Pavement replacement with subgrade improvements
•Curb and gutter replacement
•Storm sewer replacement
•Curb ramp updates to meet ADA standards
•Water main and sanitary sewer replacement
•Replacement of street lights
•New pavement marking.
Past Marsden Park Street, to WIS 80/Iowa County Line is the “rural portion” of the project, which will include:
•Mill the existing pavement surface an place new asphalt
•Widen paved shoulders (Switzer Road to Dale Drive/Stockyard Road)
•New pavement markings
•Install center line and shoulder rumble strips (Switzer Road to Dale Drive/Stockyard Road)
•Remove and three of four cattle passes.
One question those in attendance had was how traffic would be impacted during the construction.
US 18 would be closed in Fennimore between WIS 61 and Marsden Park Street. However, the intersection of US 18 and Marsden Park Street would remain open for a majority of the construction time to allow local traffic.
During the removal of the cattle passes in the rural portion, US 18 will be closed with detour routes posted
a preliminary detour route of Us 61 to Is 81 to WIS 80. That why changes as the detour route is still under evaluation.
The project again is expected to begin in Spring 2028, with completion sometime that Fall.
In the meantime, there at least one more public meeting planned for sometime next year before the acquisition of needed real estate, with construction plans to be finalized by August 2027.
