U.S. Route 18 in Wisconsin

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U.S. Highway 18
Maintained by WisDOT
Length: 182.16 mi[1] (293.16 km)
Formed: 1926
West end: US 18 near at the Iowa state line
Major
junctions:		 US 61 in Fennimore
US 151 in Dodgeville
US 12 / US 14 in Madison
I-39 / I-90 in Madison
I-94 in Waukesha
East end: N. Lincoln Memorial Drive in Milwaukee
Wisconsin highways
< WIS 17 WIS 19 >
County - Bannered - Rustic
United States Numbered Highways
List - Bannered - Divided - Replaced

In the U.S. state of Wisconsin, U.S. Route 18 (normally called U.S. Highway 18, Highway 18 or US 18) runs east-west across the southern part of the state. The highway serves as major connecting route between Madison and the southwest corner of the state. East of Madison, the route parallels Interstate 94 and serves as a local connection route to the communities along the interstate. US 18 enters Wisconsin at Prairie du Chien and ends in downtown Milwaukee at Lincoln Memorial Drive, across from the Milwaukee Art Museum.

Contents

[edit] Route description

US 18 enters Crawford County from Iowa, crossing the Mississippi River using the Marquette-Joliet Bridge just west of Prairie du Chien. WIS 60 begins at the state line and runs concurrent with US 18 east from there. The two highways turn south at the along with Wisconsin Highway 35 downtown and head southeast out of the city. WIS 60 branches northeast from US 18 at Bridgeport. US 18 and WIS 35 continue southeast into Grant County[2] The two highways split at Patch Grove with WIS 35 continuing southeastward along with WIS 133 south, while US 18 turns eastward along with WIS 133 north. WIS 133 branches north at Mount Hope. US 18 and US 61 jucntion in downtown Fennimore. and WIS 80 north joins the highway in Montfort, on the Iowa County line.[3]

Major cities

WIS 80 turns north at Cobb while US 18 continues east through Dodgeville, crossing WIS 23 and joining US 151 North. The two U.S. routes share a common expressway and bypass Ridgeway and Barneveld on the way east into Dane County.[4] in Dane Conty, US 18 and US 151 bypass Mount Horeb, crossing WIS 78 and WIS 92, and Verona and enter the Madison area, first passing through Fitchburg. Upon entering Madison, US 18 and US 151 join US 12 and US 14 east along the West Beltline Highway. US 151 and US 14 turn off the beltline three miles east and US 12 and US 18 continue east, crossing US 51 and I-39 / I-90 southeast of Madison. Four miles east of the Interstates, US 12/US 18 becomes a two lane surface road again and passes through Cambridge, where US 12 splits southeast at the Jefferson County line.[5]

US 18 crosses WIS 89 and WIS 26 in Jefferson and passes through Sullivan.[6] Entering Waukesha County, Wisconsin, US 18 passes north of Dousman at WIS 67, south of the Kettle Moraine State Forest - Lapham Peak Unit and north of Wales at WIS 83.[7] US 18 then enters Waukesha along Summit Avenue. US 18 turns onto Delafield Street heading south, then takes a very sharp turn northeast - with the eastbound traffic following St. Paul Avenue and westbound traffic following North Street. The two streets merge and US 18 turns east onto Moreland Boulevard, WIS 164 joins US 18 from Les Paul Parkway south and follows it to the interchange with I-94. WIS 164 turns west onto I-94, and US 18 continues east into Brookfield along Blue Mound Road.[8] US 18 continues through Brookfield and Elm Grove along Blue Mound Road, and enter Milwaukee County and Wauwatosa.[7] US 18 crosses WIS 100 and US 45 near the Milwaukee County Zoo and continues east into Milwaukee.[9] At US 41, the highway shifts onto Wisconsin Ave. US 18 turns north onto North 35th street and east on to West Highland Ave, then south onto North 17th Avenue. The route splits onto one-way streets following State Street and Wells street just west of I-43 and join [[Wisconsin Highway 32|WIS 32 at North Broadway (southbound) and North Milwaukee Street (Northbound). Both directions turn east onto East Michigan Street as WIS 32 continues south. US 18 reaches its eastern terminus, the junction of Michigan Street and Lincoln Memorial Drive five blocks east of WIS 32, and one block north of I-794.[10]

[edit] History

Prior to 1926, The route that US 18 follows was comprised of several different routes. WIS 60 was the main route through Prairie du Chien to Bridgeport along its current alignment. WIS 35 also followed its present alignement along the route. WIS 19 was the route number that was signed from Bridgeport to Madison. East of Madison, most of the current route was signed as WIS 41. WIS 41 followed Greenfield and National Avenues in Milwaukee at the time that US 18 debuted. Shortly after US 18 was signed, it was rerouted along WIS 30 and WIS 19 - the present route within Milwaukee. The remainder of the route was relocated to its current alignment in 1932.[1][11]

The eastern terminus was an originally stated in official DOT documentation to be the junction of East Michigan Street and North Harbor Drive. This matched what commercial street maps were showing after many years of inaccuracies.[1]

Between 1980 and 1990, 38 miles of US 18/US 151 was upgraded to expressway standards, with the section around Verona being the final piece to be completed in 1995. US 12/US 18 was upgraded to expressway standards between I-39/I-90 to North Star Road, west of Cambridge. The remainder wasn't expanded, but straightened out to eliminate sharp curves.[1]

[edit] Major intersections

[edit] Prairie du Chien to Dodgeville

County Location Mile Roads intersected Notes
Crawford Prairie du Chien   WIS 35 North WIS 35 South follow US 18/WIS 60 East
Bridgeport   WIS 60 East WIS 60 West follow US 18 West
Grant Patch Grove   WIS 35 South / WIS 133 South WIS 35 North follow US 18 West, WIS 133 North follow US 18 East
Mount Hope   WIS 133 north WIS 133 South follow US 18 West
Fennimore   US 61
Montfort   WIS 80 South WIS 80 North follow US 18 East
Iowa Cobb   WIS 80 North WIS 80 South follow US 18 West
Edmund   WIS 39
Dodgeville   WIS 23
  US 151 South US 151 North follow US 18 East

[edit] Dodgeville to Cambridge

Further information: U.S. Route 151 in Wisconsin and U.S. Route 12 in Wisconsin

[edit] Cambridge to Milwaukee

County Location Mile Roads intersected Notes
Dane Cambridge   US 12 East US 12 West follow US 18 West
Jefferson Jefferson   WIS 89
  WIS 26
Helerville   CTH D
Sullivan   CTH F
Waukesha Dousman   WIS 67
Waterville   CTH P
Wales   CTH C
  WIS 83
    CTH G
Waukesha   CTH T
  CTH J
  WIS 164 South WIS 164 North follow US 18 East
  I-94 / WIS 164 North WIS 164 North follow I-94 West, WIS 164 South follow US 18 West
Elm Grove   CTH O (Moorland Road)
Milwaukee Wauwatosa   WIS 100 (N. 108th St.)
  US 45
  WIS 181 (76th St.)
Milwaukee   US 41
  I-43 Northboud access via Kilbourn St., Southbound access via W. McKinley Blvd
  WIS 32 (N. Broadway, N. Milwaukee St.)

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d Bessert, Chris. Wisconsin Highways: Highways 10-19 (U.S. Highway 18). Wisconsin Highways. Retrieved on 2008-01-01.
  2. ^ Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Crawford Co [map]. Retrieved on 2008-01-01.
  3. ^ Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Grant Co [map]. Retrieved on 2008-01-01.
  4. ^ Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Iowa Co [map]. Retrieved on 2008-01-01.
  5. ^ Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Dane Co [map]. Retrieved on 2008-01-01.
  6. ^ Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Jefferson Co [map]. Retrieved on 2008-01-01.
  7. ^ a b Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Waukesha Co [map]. Retrieved on 2008-01-01.
  8. ^ City of Waukesha. City of Waukesha Ward and Aldermanic Districts Map [map]. Retrieved on 2008-01-01.
  9. ^ Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Milwaukee Co [map]. Retrieved on 2008-01-01.
  10. ^ Google. from:US-18, Milwaukee - Google Maps [map]. Cartography by NAVTEQ. Retrieved on 2008-01-01.
  11. ^ Rand McNally Auto Road Atlas. Rand McNally (1926). Retrieved on 2008-01-01.


U.S. Route 18
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