U.S. Route 12 in Wisconsin

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U.S. Highway 12
Maintained by WisDOT
Length: 156.56 mi[1] (251.96 km)
Formed: 1926 (1917 as WIS 12)
West end: US 12 at Minnesota state line
Major
junctions:		 US 53 ] in Altoona
I-90 in Lake Delton
US 14 in Middleton
US 18 in Madison
I-43 in Elkhorn
East end: US 12 at Illinois state line
Wisconsin highways
< WIS 11 WIS 13 >
County - Bannered - Rustic
United States Numbered Highways
List - Bannered - Divided - Replaced

In the U.S. state of Wisconsin, U.S. Route 12 (normally called U.S. Highway 12, Highway 12 or US 12) runs east-west across the western to southeast porions of the state. It enters from Minnesota (Concurrently with Interstate 94) at Hudson, parallel's the interstate to Wisconsin Dells while providing local access to cities such as Menomonie, Eau Claire, Black River Falls, Tomah and Mauston. The route then provides an alternate route for traffic between northwestern Wisconsin and Madison and is the anchor route for the West Beltline Highway around Madison. Finally it serves southeastern Wisconsin, connecting Madison with Whitewater, Elkhorn and Lake Geneva. The West Beltline Highway and the segment between Elkhorn and Lake Geneva are freeway, the segment between Sauk City and Middleton is an expressway. The remainder of the road is two-lane surface road or urban multi-lane arterial.

Contents

[edit] Route description

[edit] Hudson to Lake Delton

US 12 crosses the St. Croix River (Wisconsin-Minnesota) from Minnesota concurrent with I-94 into St. Croix County. WIS 35 joins both routes upon entry into Wisconsin and exits south three miles east. US 12 leave I-94 one mile further east from the eastern WIS 35 exit, treks two miles north and begins paralleling the interstate. The highway crosses WIS 65 in Roberts and passes through Hammond over a fifteen-mile segment to Baldwin, where it crosses US 63. US 12 passes through Woodville four miles east of Baldwin and crosses WIS 128 in Wilson two miles west of the Dunn County line.[2] Roughly three miles into Dunn County, US 12 passes through Knapp, Wisconsin, then turns southeastward, connecting with WIS 79 six miles further, then joining WIS 25 (North Broadway Street) south in Menomonie. US 12 turns east onto WIS 29 (Main Street East) in downtown Menomonie and the two routes follow Stout Road east out of the city.[3] The highways meet an interchange with I-94, then split one half of a mile east in Elk Mound at the junction with WIS 40. US 12 passes through Elk Mound and enters Eau Claire County[4]

US 12 merges onto WIS 312 east (North Crossing) for two miles before turning south onto Clairemont Avenue, bypassing the downtown Eau Claire to the south and west. WIS 37 junctions with US 12 on the southwest side of the city. Access to WIS 93 is provided via US 53. The interchange between US 12 and US 53 in Altoona is Wisconsin's only single-point urban interchange.[5] US 12 continues east out of the Eau Claire metropolitan area and passes through Fall Creek where it turns southeastward to join WIS 27 south in Augusta. The two highways briefly join US 10 on the Jackson County line in Fairchild[6] US 12 and WIS 27 turn southward and pass through Humbird in Clark County. and into Jackson County.[7]

US 12 and WIS 27 cross over WIS 95 in Merrillan and WIS 54 in Black River Falls. US 12 and WIS 27 also split in Black River Falls. US 12 follows I-94 to the southeast past Millston and into Monroe County[8] The highway crosses I-94 (no access) south of Kirby and junctions with WIS 21 on the north side of Tomah at an interchange with the interstate. US 12 passes through Tomah and joins with WIS 16 on the south side at the junction with WIS 133 near Mill Bluff State Park. The highways continue paralleling I-90 and I-94 southeast and pass through Oakdale and into Juneau County[8]

US 12 and WIS 16 pass through Camp Douglas and cross WIS 80 in New Lisbon. The highways then junction with WIS 58 and WIS 82 in Mauston as they continue southeast. The routes slowly trek eastward and pass through Lyndon Station where Rocky Arbor State Park is located. The highways turn southeast again and crossing the Interstates and into Sauk County and Wisconsin Dells.[9] WIS 16 turns east onto WIS 13 north as WIS 23 west turns south onto US 12. These highways follow the Wisconsin Dells Parkway south into the heart of the Wisconsin Dells tourism district[10] - passing attractions such as Noah's Ark Waterpark,[11] the Wisconsin Ducks boat tours[12], Kalahari Resort, Mt. Olympus Water and Theme Park, Wilderness Territory, and Tommy Bartlett's Thrill Show[13]. WIS 23 turns west onto Monroe Ave as US 12 turns southeast and crosses the Interstates.[14]

[edit] Lake Delton to Cambridge

WIS 33 joins US 12 three miles north of Baraboo, the routes split in West Baraboo at WIS 136. US 12 junctions with WIS 159, a short highway which provides access to Devil's Lake State Park. The highway briefly becomes an expressway two miles south of WIS 159 for seven miles as it approaches Sauk City. WIS 60 briefly joins US 12 in Sauk City and WIS 78 crosses the Wisconsin River concurrently with US 12 into Dane County[14] US 12 becomes an expressway again at the county line and continues southeast, crossing WIS 19 at Springfield Corners. Just northwest of Middleton the route becomes a freeway as it enters the Madison area along the West Beltline Highway.[15]

US 12 merges with US 14 at University Avenue. The freeway continues south and turns eastward at the interchange with CTH M and CTH S (Mineral Point Road). US 18 and US 151 join the beltline off Verona Road in southwestern Madison. The four routes travel concurrently for two miles, passing through interchanges with Todd Drive and Fish Hatchery Road before US 14 leaves south towards Janesville and US 151 north into downtown Madison via Park Street. The four-way concurrency was until 2007 crossed by a railroad track at the surface. The crossing was isolated using Jersey barriers until that time.[16] The freeway also had several ramps that contained driveways that accessed businesses.[17] US 12 and US 18 continue east into Monona and cross the Upper Mud Lake channel. The highways meet US 51 at Stoughton Road, then interchange with I-39 and I-90 on the southeast side of Madison.[18] US 12 and US 18 continue as an expressway east of the interstates, junctioning with WIS 73 in Deerfield and splitting with US 12 turning southeast into Jefferson County in Cambridge.[15]

[edit] Cambridge to Genoa City

After leaving Cambridge, US 12 passes through Oakland and crosses WIS 26, WIS 89, and WIS 106 in Fort Atkinson. WIS 89 joins US 12 as the route turns southward to approach Whitewater, bypassing the city to the south into Walworth County. The route does briefly enter Rock County before crossing into Walworth County[19] WIS 89 turns off US 12 at its junction with WIS 59. WIS 59 East follows US 12 briefly before turning north into the city. US 12 passes through La Grange and turns south at the junction with WIS 20 to follow WIS 67 south. US 12 turns southeast off WIS 67 onto a freeway northeast of Elkhorn. The highway crosses over WIS 11 with no access, then interchanges with I-43. Access for Lake Geneva is provided at WIS 120 and WIS 50 as US 12 passes the city to the east. The highway turns south into Genoa City where the freeway ends and US 12 follows the crossroad into Illinois.

[edit] History

The entire route was originally signed as WIS 12 in 1917 prior to the creation of the US highway system in 1926. Aside from a few changes resulting from the construction of freeways and US 12 being aligned on them, a few differences exist between the original route and today's alignment. WIS 12 followed CTH E, a more southerly alignment, between Menomonie and Eau Claire. From Black River Falls, WIS 12 continued south to Shamrock and turned east to follow CTH O to Millston. WIS 12 ran southerly from Tomah along WIS 131 to CTH A and turned east onto the county road to pass through Hustler and Clifton to reach New Lisbon.[20][1]

The state originally planned to upgrade all of US 12 from Madison to Genoa City to freeway in anticipation of Illinois facilitating a toll road south of the state line. However, after Wisconsin started upgrading between Elkhorn and Genoa City, it was realized that no plans were ever set forth by Illinois, apparently due to community opposition. The route between Cambridge and Whitewater was upgraded to straighter and flatter for safety. A bypass of Whitewater was added in 2005. Upgrades to US 12 between Middleton and Sauk City were completed in 2005, but local opposition prevented most of the remaining route north of that point to Lake Delton from being constructed.[1]

[edit] Major intersections

[edit] Hudson to Middleton

County Location Mile Roads intersected Notes
St. Croix Hudson   WIS 35 North WIS 35 South follow I-94 East / US 12 East
I-94 Exit 1[21]
  CTH A (Carmichael Road) / CTH F I-94 Exit 2[21]
  WIS 35 South WIS 35 North follow I-94 West / US 12 West
I-94 Exit 3[21]
  I-94 East US 12 West follow I-94 West / US 12 East
  CTH U
Roberts   WIS 65
Hammond   CTH T
Baldwin   US 63
Woodville   CTH D
Wilson   WIS 128
  CTH W
Dunn Knapp   CTH O
  CTH K
    WIS 79
Menomonie   WIS 25 North WIS 25 South follow US 12 East
  WIS 25 North / WIS 29 West WIS 25 North follow US 12 West
WIS 29 East follow US 12 East
  CTH B
Elk Mound   I-94
  WIS 29 East / WIS 40 WIS 29 West follow US 12 West
Eau Claire Eau Claire   WIS 312 West (North Crossing) WIS 312 East follow US 12 East
  WIS 312 East (North Crossing) / CTH T WIS 312 West follow US 12 West
  WIS 37
 
US 53 Bus. (Hastings Way)
Altoona   US 53
Fall Creek   CTH K
Augusta   WIS 27 North WIS 27 South follow US 12 East
Fairchild   CTH H
Jackson   US 10 West US 12 East / WIS 27 South Follow US 10 East
Clark   US 10 East US 12 West / WIS 27 North Follow US 10 West
Humbird   CTH B
Jackson Merrillan   WIS 95
Black River Falls   I-94
  WIS 54
  WIS 27 South WIS 27 North follow US 12 West
Millston   CTH O
Monroe Tomah   I-94 / WIS 21
  WIS 16 West / WIS 131 WIS 16 East follow US 12 East
  I-90
Oakdale   CTH PP
Juneau Camp Douglas   CTH H
New Lisbon   WIS 80
Mauston   WIS 82
    CTH O
Lyndon Station   CTH HH
Indian Heights   CTH J
Sauk Wisconsin Dells   WIS 13 / WIS 16 East / WIS 23 East WIS 16 West follow US 12 West
WIS 23 West Follow US 12 East
Lake Delton   WIS 23 WIS 23 East Follow US 12 West
  I-90 / I-94
West Baraboo   WIS 33 West WIS 33 East follow US 12 East
  WIS 33 East / WIS 136 WIS 33 West follow US 12 West
  WIS 159
Bluff View   CTH C
Prairie du Sac   CTH Z
Sauk City   WIS 60 West WIS 60 East follow US 12 East
  WIS 60 East / WIS 78 South WIS 60 West follow US 12 West
WIS 78 South follow US 12 East
Dane   WIS 78 South WIS 78 North follow US 12 West
Roxbury   CTH Y
Springfield Corners   WIS 19
Ashton   CTH K

[edit] Middleton to Cambridge

County Location Mile #[22] Destinations Notes
Dane Middleton   249 Parmenter St  
  250 CTH M – Airport Rd, Century Ave CTH M follow US 12 East
  251B Parmenter St Westbound exit only
  251A US 14 West – University Ave Eastbound
WIS 14 East follow US 12 East
  US 14 West (University Ave) – Spring Green, La Crosse Westbound
Madison   252 Greenway Blvd
  253 Old Sauk Rd  
  254 CTH M / CTH S – Mineral Point Rd  
  255 Gammon Rd
  257 Whitney Way
  258 US 18 West / US 151 South (Midvale Blvd, Verona Rd) – Dodgeville US 18 East / US 151 North follow US 12 / US 14 East
  258A Seminole Hwy Eastbound entrance; Westbound exit only
  259 Todd Dr  
  260A-B CTH D – Fish Hatchery Rd Two Exits Eastbound, One Exit Westbound
  261A US 14 – Oregon Eastbound POV
  261B US 151 – Park St Eastbound POV
  261A-B US 14 East / US 151 North (Park St) – Oregon Westbound POV
US 14 West / US 141 South follow US 12 West / US 18 West
  262 Rimrock Rd  
  263 John Nolen Dr  
Monona   264 South Towne Dr  
  265 Monona Dr  
Madison   266 US 51 – Stoughton Rd McFarland use Exit 266
  267A I-39 South / I-90 East – Janesville, Chicago
  267B I-39 South / I-90 West to I-94 West – Wis Dells, Milwaukee  
Door Creek   272 CTH N – Stoughton, Cottage Grove  

[edit] Cambridge to Elkhorn

County Location Mile Roads intersected Notes
Dane Cambridge   US 18 East / WIS 134 US 18 West follow US 12 West
Jefferson Oakland   CTH A
  CTH J
Fort Atkinson   WIS 26
  WIS 89 North / WIS 106 WIS 89 South follow US 12 East
Walworth Whitewater   WIS 59 West / WIS 89 South WIS 89 North follow US 12 West
WIS 59 East follow US 12 East
  WIS 59 East WIS 59 West follow US 12 West
La Grange   WIS 20 / WIS 67 North WIS 67 South follow US 12 East
    CTH A
Elkhorn   WIS 67 South WIS 67 South follow US 12 West

[edit] Elkhorn to Genoa City

County Location Mile #[22] Destinations Notes
Walworth Elkhorn   321A-B I-43 – Beloit, Milwaukee  
  321C CTH NN – Elkhorn  
Lake Geneva   328 WIS 120 East – Burlington, Lake Geneva  
  330A WIS 50 East – Paddock Lake, Kenosha Eastbound
  330B WIS 50 / WIS 120 – Lake Geneva
  330 A-B WIS 50 / WIS 120 – Lake Geneva, Kenosha Westbound
Pell Lake   335 Pell Lake Rd  

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Bessert, Chris. Wisconsin Highways: Highways 10-19 (Highway 12). Wisconsin Highways. Retrieved on 2007-06-11.
  2. ^ Wisconsin Department of Transportation. St. Croix Co [map]. Retrieved on 2008-01-17.
  3. ^ Google. Menomonie, WI, United States of America - Google Maps [map]. Cartography by NAVTEQ. Retrieved on 2008-01-10.
  4. ^ Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Dunn Co [map]. Retrieved on 2008-01-17.
  5. ^ Google. Eau Claire, WI, United States of America - Google Maps [map]. Cartography by NAVTEQ. Retrieved on 2008-01-10.
  6. ^ Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Eau Claire Co [map]. Retrieved on 2008-01-17.
  7. ^ Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Clark Co [map]. Retrieved on 2008-01-17.
  8. ^ a b Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Monroe Co [map]. Retrieved on 2008-01-17.
  9. ^ Wisconsin Department of Transportation. juneau Co [map]. Retrieved on 2008-01-16.
  10. ^ Google. Lake Delton, WI, United States of America - Google Maps [map]. Cartography by NAVTEQ. Retrieved on 2008-01-09.
  11. ^ Noah's Ark Waterpark Wisconsin Dells. Retrieved on 2008-01-09.
  12. ^ Original Wisconsin Ducks, Wisconsin Dells. Retrieved on 2008-01-09.
  13. ^ Tommy Bartlett Show. Retrieved on 2008-01-09.
  14. ^ a b Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Sauk Co [map]. Retrieved on 2008-01-17.
  15. ^ a b Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Dane Co [map]. Retrieved on 2008-01-17.
  16. ^ Wisconsin Department of Transportation. One month and counting: Beltline project begins April 30. Retrieved on 2007-06-11.
  17. ^ Jensen, David. Unusual Sights in and around Madison. Wisconsin Highways. Retrieved on 2006-12-25.
  18. ^ Google. Madison, WI, United States of America - Google Maps [map]. Cartography by NAVTEQ. Retrieved on 2008-01-17.
  19. ^ Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Jefferson Co [map]. Retrieved on 2008-01-17.
  20. ^ Original State Trunk Highway System in Wisconsin. Southeast Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (1918). Retrieved on 2008-01-10.
  21. ^ a b c Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Exit Numbers on I-94. Retrieved on 2008-01-17.
  22. ^ a b Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Exit Numbers on US 12. Retrieved on 2007-06-10.


U.S. Route 12
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