U.S. Route 53 in Wisconsin

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U.S. Highway 53
Maintained by WisDOT
Formed:	1926
South end:	at La Crosse
Major junctions:	I-90 in La Crosse I-94 in Washington WIS-93 in Eau Claire US 12 in Eau Claire/Altoona WIS-312 in Seymour WIS-29 in Lake Hallie US 8 in Cameron WIS-70 near Spooner US 63 near Spooner US 63 in Trego US 2 in Superior
North end:	Minnesota border in Superior
Wisconsin highways < WIS 52 WIS 53 > County - Bannered - Rustic United States Numbered Highways List - Bannered - Divided - Replaced

In the U.S. state of Wisconsin, U.S. Route 53 (normally called U.S. Highway 53, Highway 53 or US 53) runs north-south across the western part of the state.

[edit] Route description

The highway begins at its southern terminus at US 14, US 61 and WIS 16 in downtown La Crosse. From there, it crosses Interstate 90 and becomes a freeway bypass of Onalaska and Holmen before proceeding north to Eau Claire as a two-lane road. The interchange with Interstate 94 begins a freeway/expressway stretch for the route north to and through Superior and into Minnesota. The recently built (ca. 2006) freeway in Eau Claire, bypasses most of the city, alleviating congestion on the original route (signed as both "Business US-53" and "Hastings Way"). Hastings Way/Business US-53, a mix of grade-separated interchanges and at-grade intersections, is routed through Eau Claire, passing within about 1 mile of downtown. Wisconsin's first single-point urban interchange is found along the new bypass, at the interchange with US-12, in Altoona.^[1]

US 53 continues as a freeway north of Eau Claire past Chippewa Falls to Rice Lake where it becomes an expressway with only two grade-separated interchanges (one at WIS 70 near Spooner, WI and one at WIS 13 southeast of Superior). A partial grade-separated interchange also exists at US 2 but traffic turning onto US 2 east must take a U-turn at an at-grade crossover past the interchange.

In Superior, US 53 runs together with Interstate 535 and crosses the St. Louis River via the John A. Blatnik Bridge into Minnesota.

[edit] Exit list

County	Location	#[2]	Destinations	Notes
End Freeway - continues as 2-lane road
Eau Claire	Eau Claire	84A	I-94 East – Madison	Exit number not marked on northbound lanes
		84B	I-94 West – St. Paul	Exit number not marked on northbound lanes
		85	CTH AA – Golf Rd
		86	US 53 Bus. to WIS 93 – Hastings Way	Northbound
			WIS 93 South – La Crosse	Southbound
		87	US 12 – Clairemont Ave	Wisconsin's only SPUI[citation needed]
		89	River Prairie Dr	Altoona use Exit 89
		90	WIS 312 / CTH Q – North Crossing
Chippewa	Lake Hallie	92	Melby St	Lake Hallie use Exit 92
		94	WIS 124 / CTH OO / US 53 Bus. – Chippewa Falls, Lake Hallie
		95A-B	WIS 29 – Menomonie, Green Bay
	Chippewa Falls	96	WIS 29 Bus. – Menomonie, Chippewa Falls
		99	CTH S – Chippewa Falls, Jim Falls
	Tilden	102	CTH B – Tilden
	Bloomer	110	WIS 40 – Bloomer, Colfax
		112	WIS 64 – Cornell, New Richmond
	New Auburn	118	CTH M – New Auburn
Barron	Chetek	126	CTH I – Chetek
	Cameron	135	US 8 – Barron, Cameron
	Rice Lake	140	CTH O – Rice Lake
		143	WIS 48 – Rice Lake, Cumberland
Freeway ends - continues as expressway with one diamond at WIS 70 and one at WIS 13 .

[edit] References

Preceded by none

U.S. Route 53 Wisconsin

Succeeded by Minnesota