Wisconsin Highway 16

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For the pre-1926 Highway 16, see Highway 16 (Wisconsin 1917).
State Trunk Highway 16
Length: 193.2 mi[1] (310.9 km)
West end: SH 16 in La Crescent, MN
Major
junctions:
US 53 in La Crosse
US 12 in Tomah
I-39 in Portage
WIS 26 in Watertown
East end: I-94 in Waukesha
Wisconsin highways
< WIS 15 WIS 17 >
County - Bannered - Rustic

State Trunk Highway 16 (often called Highway 16, STH 16 or WIS 16) is a Wisconsin state highway running from Pewaukee across the state to La Crosse. Much of its route in the state parallels the former mainline of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road).

Formerly U.S. Highway 16, most of the highway was bypassed by Interstate 90 and Interstate 94 in the 1960s and 1970s. Highway 16 is 193.2 miles in length, including the new Oconomowoc Bypass section. Highway 16 is routed with several other US, state and county highways over a majority of its length.

Contents

[edit] Termini

The eastern end of the route is a limited-access freeway from Oconomowoc to its terminus at Interstate 94, near the Waukesha County Airport (also known as Crites Field). The first sign for Highway 16 West is on the long curve of the on-ramp from I-94.

The western terminus of the highway is at the Wisconsin-Minnesota border along the route of U.S. Highway 14 and U.S. Highway 61, just west of La Crosse. Minnesota State Highway 16 continues to the west from this point. The first sign for Highway 16 east in Wisconsin is on Pettibone Island, on the approach to the Cameron Avenue Bridge just outside of downtown La Crosse.

[edit] Interchanges

List Source[2]

County Location Mile # Destinations Notes
End Freeway - continues as surface street into Oconomowoc

Bypass follows WIS 67 around North side of Oconomowoc (See article for explanation)

Waukesha Oconomowoc   176
CTH P North - Brown St, Gifford Rd
 
Oconomowoc Lake   178
CTH P South - Sawyer Rd
 
Nashotah   179 CTH C - Lakeland Dr  
Hartland   181 WIS 83 - Hartland, Chenequa  
  182 CTH E - Cottonwood Ave Eastbound exit only; Westbound entrance only
  183 CTH KC - Merton Ave Eastbound entrance only; Westbound exit only
  184 CTH JK, CTH KE - Jungbluth Rd, North Shore Dr  
Pewaukee   186 CTH KF - Ryan St  
  187 WIS 190 - Capitol Dr  
  188 CTH JJ - Main St  

[edit] Major cities along the route

[edit] State Parks

[edit] The Oconomowoc Bypass

The alignment of the eastern section of Highway 16 changed in late 2006 when the rest of the Oconomowoc bypass was opened to traffic. The four-lane, limited access divided highway routes Highway 16 around Lac La Belle on the west side of the city, meeting up with Highway 67 north of downtown. Eventually, the bypass will result in the removal of the state highway designation from Wisconsin Avenue through downtown Oconomowoc.

The signs for Highway 16 through downtown Oconomowoc have not yet been changed, but will likely be taken down and replaced with a Business designation by the end of 2007. Currently, the limited-access highway around Oconomowoc is designated as BYPASS 16 on signage.List Source[3]

[edit] Images (east to west)

[edit] References