Wisconsin Highway 29
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- For the pre-1926 Highway 29, see Highway 29 (Wisconsin 1917).
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| State Trunk Highway 29 |
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| Length: | 289.11 mi[1] (465.28 km) | ||||||||||||
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| West end: |  US 10 in Prescott |
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| Major junctions: |
 WIS 25 in Menomonie US 53 in Lake Hallie US 51 in Wausau WIS 22 near Shawano US 41 in Green Bay |
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| East end: |  WIS 42 in Kewaunee |
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State Trunk Highway 29 (often called Highway 29, STH 29 or WIS 29) is a Wisconsin state highway running east-west across central Wisconsin. It is 289.11 miles in length.
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[edit] Termini
The western terminus of Highway 29 is at U.S. Highway 10, just north of Prescott. The eastern terminus is at Highway 42 in downtown Kewaunee.
[edit] Municipalities served by Highway 29
- Prescott
- River Falls
- Menomonie
- Elk Mound
- Chippewa Falls
- Abbotsford
- Wausau
- Weston
- Wittenberg
- Shawano
- Green Bay
- Kewaunee
[edit] History
Prior to 1926, Highway 29 was numbered Highway 116 from Minnesota to Chippewa Falls, Highway 16 from Chippewa Falls to Bellevue, and Highway 146 from Bellevue to Kewaunee. Highway 16 continued southeast from Bellevue along what became U.S. Highway 141 in 1926 to Manitowoc. What had been Highway 29 before 1926 became U.S. Highway 16 across the state.[2]
Highway 29 has long been known as "Bloody 29" and "Death Alley" because of the prevalence of grisly fatal traffic crashes along significant portions of the highway. In 1988, a study was commissioned to examine upgrading the highway to a 4-lane divided highway. The changes would be made along 203 miles of road from Interstate 94, 2 miles west of Elk Mound, to U.S. Highway 41 in Howard (suburban Green Bay). The final segment of the highway, connecting the east side of Chippewa Falls with the segment running north of Eau Claire, was opened to traffic on August 16, 2005. Of the total length, approximately 65 miles of the highway meets Interstate standards. [3] Most of the expansion was able to be completed with only minor additions to the already-existing easements, and as a result, the expanded roadway almost exactly matches the highway's original course. While traffic crashes have declined significantly, numerous memorials to those who lost their lives on the road still dot the route.
Highway 29 is the only Wisconsin state highway in the Corridors 2020 Backbone Routes system.[1]
[edit] Current status
Highway 29 is currently undergoing upgrades in Wausau as a part of the US 51/WIS 29 project.[4] This project will expand the portions of Highway 29 that are co-signed with U.S. Highway 51 from 4 lanes to 6 lanes and reconstruct interchanges along the route. The southern interchange where Highway 29 turns east off from US 51 is currently being built and will be completed in late 2006. The northern end of the project will take four years and be completed in 2010.[4]
[edit] Future plans
WisDOT is studying options for Highway 29 conversions to Interstate standards in three sections.
The section between I-94 and County Highway X's eastern exit is already designated as a freeway by WisDOT - despite the existence of several at-grade intersections between U.S. Highway 53 and I-94. WisDOT is studying options for upgrade of these intersections as part of the study. In addition, upgrades to the I-94 interchange with Highway 29 are also being considered. WisDOT is also studying options for upgrades to the highway to a freeway further east to Bruce Mound Ave. in Clark County. [3]
The second section - between Wittenberg (U.S. Highway 45) and Green Bay (U.S. Highway 41) is also undergoing a study for planned upgrades of the highway to freeway standards. As it stands now, the Shawano bypass is the only section that is a freeway. The study is geared toward upgrading the rest of the section to Interstate standards.[5]
The third section - between Ringle (County Highway X) and Wittenberg (U.S. Highway 45) is at the preliminary stages for freeway upgrades. WisDOT is currently focusing on preserving right of way access for future ugrades. [6]
To date, WisDOT has no published plans for the segments from Bruce Mound Ave. to Abbotsford (Badger Ave.) and from Abbotsford to Wausau (72nd Ave.)
[edit] Images (east to west)
 East terminus in Kewaunee |
 West of Green Bay |
[edit] References
- ^ a b Wisconsin Highways: Highway 29
- ^ Wisconsin Highways: Highway 16
- ^ a b Wis 29 Freeway conversion Study: I-94 to Clark County
- ^ a b US-51/WI-29 Project in Wausau (WisDOT)
- ^ Project Newsletter - Wis 29 Preservation Plan: Wittenberg to Green Bay, from WisDOT - September 2005 (PDF document)
- ^ "WisDOT schedules WIS 29 public information meeting"
