U.S. Route 14 in Wisconsin

U.S. Highway 14
Route information
Maintained by WisDOT
Length: 198.49 mi[2] (319.44 km)
Existed: 1926[1] – present
Major junctions
West end: US 14 at the Minnesota state line
  US 61 in Readstown
US 12 in Middleton
US 18 / US 151 in Madison
I-39 / I-90 / US 51 in Janesville
I-43 in Darien
East end: US 14 at the Illinois state line
Highway system

United States Numbered Highways
List • Bannered • Divided • Replaced

Wisconsin highways
County • Bannered • Rustic

← WIS 13 WIS 15 →

In the U.S. state of Wisconsin, U.S. Route 14 (normally called U.S. Highway 14, Highway 14 or US 14) runs northwest-southeast across the western to southwest portions of the state. It links La Crosse and the southwestern portion of the state with Madison and Janesville. US 14 is mostly two-lane surface road with the exception of a few multilane urban arterials and a freeway section around Madison that it mostly shares with US 12.

Contents

Route description

US 14 enters Wisconsin from La Crescent along with US 16 and WIS 16 (linking to Trunk Highway 16). The three highways immediately junction with US 53 in the downtown area and WIS 16 continues east while US 14 along with US 61 turn southeast and out of La Crosse, linking up with WIS 35 south along the way for three miles (5 km), after a short concurrency, US 14 and US 61 turn east while WIS 35 continues south. The US routes then exit La Crosse County for Vernon County.[3] In Vernon County, the routes passes through Coon Valley and Westby, joining with WIS 27 and turning south and passing through Viroqua. WIS 27 splits off to the southwest as US 14 and US 61 head southeast to Readstown where US 61 turns south and US 14 heads east into Richland County.[4]

US 14 continues southeast into Richland County, bypassing Sylvan and Boaz before turning east. after a seven mile (11 km) east trek, the highway enters Richland Center and immediately turns south. WIS 80 crosses the highway in the southern part of downtown before US 14 turns southeast and junctions with WIS 58. US 14 passes through Sextonville and turns south to collect WIS 60 at Gotham. The two highways then head east-southeast to Lone Rock where they cross WIS 130 and exit to Sauk County[5] The routes then split at Spring Green while crossing WIS 23, with US 14 heading south into Iowa County while WIS 60 continues east.[6] US 14 bypasses Helena and passes through Arena and into Dane County.[7] US 14 turns southeast at Mazomanie and junctions with WIS 19, then passes through Black Earth, Cross Plains and turns east to meet US 12 east at the West Beltline Highway in Middleton, a suburb of Madison.[8]

US 14 and US 12 follow the beltline south and around the west side of Madison and join US 18 east and US 151 north. All four US routes head east for three miles (5 km) through urban Madison where US 151 splits north to head into downtown Madison and US 12 and 18 continue east, while US 14 turns south toward Oregon on a seven-mile (11 km) stretch of freeway. the highway bypasses Oregon to the east and becomes a two lane road and enters Rock County east of Brooklyn.[8] US 14 turns southeastward at Evansville and passes through Leyden and then takes a northeastern bypass around Janesville, crossing U.S. Route 51 in Wisconsin and meeting up with I-39, I-90 and WIS 26 at a triangle formed by the three distinct routes northeast of the city. US 14 then turns south and meets Wisconsin Highway 11. Both highway turn east and pass through Emerald Grove on the way into Walworth County[9] US 14 turns southeast to Darien while WIS 11 continues east to Delavan. US 14 junctions with I-43 just before passing through Darien. At Walworth, the highway turns due south and heads into Illinois[10]

History

US 14 was signed later than the other US Routes in Wisconsin, being opened in 1933. The route replaced the old versions of WIS 11, from La Crosse to Madison, WIS 13 from Madison to Evansville, WIS 92 into Janesville, and WIS 20 and WIS 89 from Janesville to Illinois. The older WIS 14 was in existence when US 14 was opened, that was redesignated as WIS 81 and WIS 15 (the latter being the present-day I-43.[2]

La Crosse saw a major upgrade in the Mississippi River Bridge on its west side which carried US 14 along with US 61 and WIS 16/TH 16. An additional bridge was added to the existing "Cass Street Bridge" in 2003-2004 to relieve traffic congestion that plagued the old bridge. The old bridge, which served two-lane traffic before 2004, now serves two lanes of westbound traffic and the new bridge, dubbed the "Cameron Avenue Bridge," carries two lanes of eastbound traffic along with pedestrian and bicycle facilities. Additional lanes were added to the highway between the channels of the Mississippi River.[2]

Major intersections

La Crosse to Middleton

County Location Mile Destinations Notes
La Crosse
 La Crosse   US 53 / WIS 63 east WIS 16 west follow US 14 West/US 61 North
  WIS 35 north WIS 35 South follow US 14 East/US 61 South
  WIS 35 south WIS 35 North follow US 14 West/US 61 North
Vernon
 Coon Valley   WIS 162
Westby   WIS 27 north WIS 27 South follow US 14 East/US 61 South
Viroqua   WIS 58 / WIS 82 east WIS 82 West follow US 14 East/US 61 South
  WIS 35 north WIS 27 North/Wis 82 East follow US 14 West/US 61 North
Readstown   US 61 south / WIS 131 US 61 North follow US 14 West
Richland
 Sylvan   CTH-E
Boaz   WIS 171
Richland Center   WIS 80
  WIS 58
Gotham   WIS 60 west WIS 60 East follow US 14 East
Lone Rock   WIS 130 / WIS 133
Sauk
 Spring Green   WIS 23 / WIS 60 east WIS 60 West follow US 14 West
Iowa
 Arena   CTH-H
Dane
 Mazomanie   CTH-Y
  WIS 78 north WIS 78 South follow US 14 East
Black Earth   WIS 78 south WIS 78 North follow US 14 West
Cross Plains   CTH-P
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Middleton to Oregon

Further information: U.S. Route 12 in Wisconsin
County Location Destinations Notes
Dane Madison US 151 north – Madison Freeway becomes urban multi-lane highway
US 12 west / US 14 west / US 18 west / US 151 south  
US 12 east / US 18 east – Cambridge  
McCoy Rd  
Oregon CTH-MM – Oregon, Fitchburg  
End of freeway - continues as 2-lane road

Oregon to Walworth

County Location Mile Destinations Notes
Dane
 Oregon   WIS 138
Brooklyn   WIS 92
Rock
 Union   WIS 59 east WIS 59 West follow US 14 East
Evansville   WIS 59 west / WIS 213 WIS 59 East follow US 14 West
Leyden   CTH-H
Janesville   US 51
  I-39 / I-90 / WIS 26
  CTH-A
  WIS 11 west WIS 11 East follow US 14 East
Emerald Grove   WIS 140
Walworth
 Darien   WIS 11 east / WIS 89 WIS 11 West follow US 14 West
  I-43
Walworth   WIS 67 north WIS 67 South follow US 14 East
  WIS 67 south WIS 67 North follow US 14 West
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Bannered routes


U.S. Highway 14 Business
Location: Janesville
Length: 8.4 mi[11] (13.5 km)
Existed: c. 1963–c. 2006[11]

Business Route US 14 in Janesville is a locally posted route along what used to be mainline US 14 until the early 1950s. Currently, only the portion from I-39/I-90, east toward US 14 east of Janesville, runs along WIS 11. Northwest of Janesville, BUS US 14 runs along County Trunk Highway E (CTH-E).

Signage for BUS US 14 appears to be missing at some locations within the city. It is unknown if the route markers are currently being maintained by the city or if they are no longer being replaced as they reach the end of their lifespans.

While City US 14 became BUS US 14 in the 1960s, several City US 14 route marker assemblies remain in Janesville. Also, the first reassurance marker assembly along CTH-E also includes a sign for BUS US 14.

The current US 14 bypass of Janesville was completed and opened to traffic in 1952. Beginning with the 1953 editions of official maps, a City US 14 route began appearing along the former mainline route through downtown Janesville. City US 14 followed CTH-E (Washington Street) into the city from the northwest, traveled east on Mineral Point Avenue for three blocks, then southeast through downtown on Franklin Street before turning easterly via Racine Street before exiting the city.

Around 1963, when all city routes around the state were being converted into business routes, City US 14 at Janesville was redesignated as BUS US 14. In 2001, WisDOT removed the BUS US 14 marker from the state's official highway map along the route of CTH-E (Washington Street) west of the river in Janesville, and, in 2006, the last BUS US 14 marker east of the city was removed from the official map.[11]

References

  1. ^ Droz, Robert V. U.S. Highways : From US 1 to (US 830). URL accessed 02:55, 4 July 2006 (UTC).
  2. ^ a b c Bessert, Chris. "Wisconsin Highways: Highways 10-19 (U.S. Highway 14)". Wisconsin Highways. http://www.wisconsinhighways.org/listings/WiscHwys11-19.html#US-014. Retrieved 2007-12-27. 
  3. ^ Wisconsin Department of Transportation (PDF). La Crosse Co (Map). http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/maps/docs/counties/lacrosse.pdf. Retrieved 2007-12-28. 
  4. ^ Wisconsin Department of Transportation (PDF). Vernon Co (Map). http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/maps/docs/counties/vernon.pdf. Retrieved 2007-12-28. 
  5. ^ Wisconsin Department of Transportation (PDF). Richland Co (Map). http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/maps/docs/counties/richland.pdf. Retrieved 2007-12-28. 
  6. ^ Wisconsin Department of Transportation (PDF). Sauk Co (Map). http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/maps/docs/counties/sauk.pdf. Retrieved 2007-12-28. 
  7. ^ Wisconsin Department of Transportation (PDF). Iowa Co (Map). http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/maps/docs/counties/iowa.pdf. Retrieved 2007-12-28. 
  8. ^ a b Wisconsin Department of Transportation (PDF). Dane Co (Map). http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/maps/docs/counties/dane.pdf. Retrieved 2007-12-28. 
  9. ^ Wisconsin Department of Transportation (PDF). Rock Co (Map). http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/maps/docs/counties/rock.pdf. Retrieved 2007-12-28. 
  10. ^ Wisconsin Department of Transportation (PDF). Walworth Co (Map). http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/maps/docs/counties/walworth.pdf. Retrieved 2007-12-28. 
  11. ^ a b c Bessert, Christopher J. (January 31, 2009). "Business Connections". Wisconsin Highways. http://www.wisconsinhighways.org/listings/WiscHwysBusiness.html#US-14BUS-J. Retrieved December 20, 2011. 
U.S. Route 14
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