U.S. Route 51 in Wisconsin
US 51 highlighted in red | ||||
Route information | ||||
Maintained by WisDOT | ||||
Length | 316.59 mi[1] (509.50 km) | |||
Existed | November 11, 1926 | –present|||
Major junctions | ||||
South end | ||||
North end | ||||
Location | ||||
Country | United States | |||
State | Wisconsin | |||
Counties | Rock, Dane, Columbia, Marquette, Waushara, Portage, Marathon, Lincoln, Oneida, Vilas, Iron | |||
Highway system | ||||
| ||||
|
U.S. Highway 51 (US 51) in the U.S. state of Wisconsin runs north–south through the central part of the state. It enters from Illinois at Beloit, and runs north to its northern terminus in Hurley where it meets US 2. Much of the route of US 51 runs concurrently with Interstate 39 (I-39).
Route description
From Beloit, US 51 passes through Janesville and Edgerton. US 51 joins with I-39 and I-90 for about five miles (8.0 km) before splitting off and heading west to Stoughton. US 51 then passes through the east side of Madison as a side route, known locally as Stoughton Road, paralleling to the west of I-39/I-90. North of Madison, US 51 parallels the Interstates on the east side passing through De Forest, Leeds, North Leeds, Poynette and Portage. In North Leeds, US 51 has a major junction with Wisconsin Highway 22 (WIS 22) and WIS 60 where US 51 heads west a bit with WIS 60 before splitting back north toward Poynette. The route joins I-39 north of Portage. There is a short concurrency with WIS 23 from Endeavor to WIS 82 near Oxford. US 51 stays joined with I-39 until the Interstate ends at WIS 29. Along the way, the route bypasses the small communities of Endeavor, Packwaukee, Westfield, Coloma, Hancock, Plainfield, Plover, and Whiting prior to arriving at Stevens Point. Proceeding north from Stevens Point, the highway bypasses Knowlton, Mosinee, and Rothschild where I-39 terminates at the WIS 29 east interchange. US 51 continues on with WIS 29 for five miles (8.0 km) bypassing Schofield, then proceeding into Wausau where WIS 29 splits to the west. US 51 continues as a freeway to Merrill, passing Brokaw along the way.[2]
The section of US 51 from Portage at its junction with I-39 to Merrill, as well as from County Trunk Highway S (CTH-S) to US 8 in Tomahawk, is built to Interstate Highway standards. In between these freeway segments exists an expressway from Lincoln Drive north of Merrill further north to CTH-S south of Tomahawk with five grade-level intersections.[2] This will eventually be converted to a freeway, making US 51 a continuous freeway from Portage to Tomahawk.[3]
The highway becomes a two-lane road just north of US 8 at the Oneida County line. The highway passes through Minocqua, Manitowish Waters, and Mercer on its northwest trek toward Hurley and its terminus at a junction with US 2 just shy of the Michigan border.[2]
History
Prior to 1926, what is now US 51 was State Trunk Highway 10.[4]
US 51 was widened to a full freeway over a period of 25 years from Merrill to Portage. The freeway continues around Portage to the west as I-39 (originally as WIS 78) to connect with I-90 and I-94 while US 51 continues along surface roads into and through Portage. In the 1990s, US 51 was designated as I-39 from its junction with WIS 29 eastbound in Wausau to where it left the freeway at exit 92 in Portage. US 51 remained cosigned with I-39 along this entire stretch of road. Further expansion of the highway northward took place in 2000, when the highway was widened to an expressway up to CTH-S. In addition, a super-two freeway from CTH-S to US 8 was widened to a four-lane freeway.[4]
The Wisconsin segment of US 51 is designated as the Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway.[5]
Exit list
County | Location | mi[1] | km | Exit | Destinations | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rock | Beloit | 0.00 | 0.00 | Continuation into Illinois | ||
1.49– 1.50 | 2.40– 2.41 | |||||
Town of Rock | 10.69– 10.70 | 17.20– 17.22 | ||||
Janesville | 14.36 | 23.11 | Southern terminus of WIS 26 | |||
13.39 | 21.55 | Southern end of Bus. US 14 concurrency | ||||
13.75 | 22.13 | Northern end of Bus. US 14 concurrency | ||||
Town of Janesville | 17.49 | 28.15 | Southern end of Alt. I-39/Alt. I-90 concurrency | |||
Edgerton | 25.39 | 40.86 | ||||
Dane | Town of Albion | 28.20– 28.61 | 45.38– 46.04 | Northern end of Alt. I-39/Alt. I-90 concurrency; southern end of I-39/I-90 concurrency | ||
32.07 | 51.61 | Northern end of I-39/I-90 concurrency | ||||
Stoughton | 39.86 | 64.15 | Southern end of WIS 138 concurrency | |||
Town of Dunkirk | 40.83 | 65.71 | Northern end of WIS 138 concurrency | |||
McFarland | 49.67 | 79.94 | Siggelkow Road | Interchange | ||
Madison | 51.22– 51.23 | 82.43– 82.45 | Southern end of Alt. I-39/Alt. I-90 concurrency; US 12 exit 266 | |||
Town of Blooming Grove | 53.75 | 86.50 | Interchange | |||
54.93 | 88.40 | Milwaukee Street / Corporate Drive | Interchange; Corporate Dr. not signed northbound | |||
55.40 | 89.16 | Southern end of Alt. I-94 concurrency; WIS 30 exit 1C | ||||
Madison | 56.28– 56.29 | 90.57– 90.59 | ||||
Town of Burke | 60.61– 60.63 | 97.54– 97.57 | I-90 exit 132 | |||
61.70– 61.74 | 99.30– 99.36 | 61 | South end of freeway | |||
Town of Windsor | 63.25 | 101.79 | 63 | Windsor Road | Dumbbell interchange | |
DeForest | 65 | North end of freeway | ||||
Columbia | Town of Leeds | 71.10 | 114.42 | Southern terminus of WIS 22 | ||
71.54 | 115.13 | Eastern end of WIS 60 concurrency | ||||
Town of Arlington | 73.48 | 118.25 | Western end of WIS 60 concurrency | |||
Town of Dekorra | 84.76– 84.84 | 136.41– 136.54 | Southern end of WIS 16 concurrency | |||
Portage | 88.98 | 143.20 | Northern end of WIS 16/Alt. I-39/Alt. I-90/Alt. I-94 concurrency | |||
89.10 | 143.39 | |||||
Town of Fort Winnebago | 91.94 | 147.96 | Southern end of I-39 concurrency; I-39 exit 92 | |||
Marquette | Town of Moundville | 100.38 | 161.55 | 100 | South end of freeway section; southern end of WIS 23 overlap | |
Town of Oxford | 104.56 | 168.27 | 104 | Northbound exit and southbound entrance | ||
106.72 | 171.75 | 106 | Northern end of WIS 23 overlap | |||
Westfield | 113.27 | 182.29 | 113 | |||
Waushara | Coloma | 124.24 | 199.94 | 124 | ||
Town of Hancock | 131.30 | 211.31 | 131 | |||
Town of Plainfield | 136.85 | 220.24 | 136 | |||
Portage | Town of Pine Grove | 140.02 | 225.34 | 139 | ||
143.51 | 230.96 | 143 | ||||
Town of Plover | 150.85 | 242.77 | 151 | Southern terminus of Bus. US 51 | ||
Village of Plover | 153.45 | 246.95 | 153 | |||
156.48 | 251.83 | 156 | ||||
Stevens Point | 158.66 | 255.34 | 158 | Signed as exits 158A (east) and 158B (west) northbound; south end of US 10 overlap | ||
Town of Hull | 159.84 | 257.24 | 159 | |||
Stevens Point | 161.71 | 260.25 | 161 | Northern terminus of Bus. US 51 | ||
Town of Hull | 163.58 | 263.26 | 163 | Casimir Road | ||
165.70 | 266.67 | 165 | North end of US 10 overlap | |||
Town of Dewey | 171.34 | 275.75 | 171 | |||
Marathon | Town of Knowlton | 175.79 | 282.91 | 175 | ||
Mosinee | 179.52 | 288.91 | 179 | |||
Town of Kronenwetter | 181.34 | 291.84 | 181 | Maple Ridge Road | ||
Rothschild | 185.47 | 298.49 | 185 | Southern terminus of Bus. US 51 | ||
Town of Rib Mountain | 188.09 | 302.70 | 187 | Northern terminus of I-39; northern end of I-39 concurrency | ||
189.03 | 304.21 | 188 | ||||
190.64 | 306.81 | 190 | ||||
Stettin–Wausau line | 191.95– 192.49 | 308.91– 309.78 | 191A | Northern end of WIS 29 concurrency | ||
191B | Sherman Street | Northbound exit and southbound entrance only | ||||
192.60 | 309.96 | 192 | ||||
Wausau | 193.40 | 311.25 | 193 | Bridge Street | ||
Wausau–Maine line | 194.52– 194.73 | 313.05– 313.39 | 194 | Signed as exits 194A (CTH-U/Merrill Ave.) and 194B (Bus. US 51/CTH-K) northbound; CTH-U (Merrill Ave.) signed northbound only; northern terminus of Bus. US 51 | ||
Maine | 196.43 | 316.12 | 197 | |||
Lincoln | Town of Scott | 205.19 | 330.22 | 205 | ||
Town of Pine River | 208.39– 208.43 | 335.37– 335.44 | 208 | |||
Town of Bradley | 211.13 | 339.78 | 211 | |||
214.96 | 345.94 | Lincoln Drive | At-grade intersection; north end of freeway | |||
225.99 | 363.70 | 225 | South end of freeway | |||
229.86 | 369.92 | 229 | ||||
231.65 | 372.80 | 231 | ||||
Town of King | 234.22 | 376.94 | 234 | North end of freeway | ||
Oneida | Town of Minocqua | 260.71 | 419.57 | Southern end of WIS 70 concurrency | ||
Town of Woodruff | 261.39 | 420.67 | ||||
Vilas | Town of Arbor Vitae | 263.09 | 423.40 | Northern end of WIS 70 concurrency | ||
Iron | Town of Mercer | 288.96 | 465.04 | Northern terminus of WIS 47; eastern terminus of WIS 182 | ||
Hurley | 315.07 | 507.06 | Eastern terminus of WIS 77 | |||
Town of Kimball | 316.44– 316.59 | 509.26– 509.50 | Roundabout; former interchange; northern terminus | |||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
|
References
- ^ Jump up to: a b Wisconsin State Trunk Highway Logs:
- Southwest Region Staff (December 31, 2008). State Trunk Highway Log for Southwest Region (XLS). Madison: Wisconsin Department of Transportation. 051N.
- North Central Region Staff (December 31, 2008). State Trunk Highway Log for North Central Region (XLS). Rhinelander: Wisconsin Department of Transportation. 051N.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Google (June 25, 2014). "Overview Map of U.S. Highway 51 in Wisconsin" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
- ^ "Wisconsin Connections 2030: Wausau to Ironwood, Michigan" (PDF). Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 16, 2013. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Bessert, Christopher J. "Highways 50-59 (U.S. Highway 51)". Wisconsin Highways. Archived from the original on February 10, 2007. Retrieved March 20, 2007.
- ^ "Special Roads". Wisconsin History Explorer. Wisconsin Historical Society. Archived from the original on April 12, 2008. Retrieved January 2, 2008.
External links
Media related to U.S. Route 51 in Wisconsin at Wikimedia Commons
- U.S. Route 51
- U.S. Highways in Wisconsin
- Rock County, Wisconsin
- Dane County, Wisconsin
- Columbia County, Wisconsin
- Marquette County, Wisconsin
- Waushara County, Wisconsin
- Portage County, Wisconsin
- Marathon County, Wisconsin
- Lincoln County, Wisconsin
- Oneida County, Wisconsin
- Vilas County, Wisconsin
- Iron County, Wisconsin
- Interstate 39