U.S. Route 18 in Wisconsin

Infobox road
state=WI
type=US
route=18
length_mi=182.16
length_ref=cite web | last = Bessert | first = Chris | title =Wisconsin Highways: Highways 10-19 (U.S. Highway 18) | work =Wisconsin Highways | url =http://www.wisconsinhighways.org/listings/WiscHwys10-19.html#USH-018 | accessdate = 2008-01-01]
length_round=2
established=1926
maint=WisDOT
direction_a=West
direction_b=East
starting_terminus=jct|state=IA|US|18 near at the Iowa state line
junction=jct|state=WI|US|61 in Fennimore
jct|state=WI|US|151 in Dodgeville
jct|state=WI|US|12|US|14 in Madison
jct|state=WI|I|39|I|90 in Madison
jct|state=WI|I|94 in Waukesha
ending_terminus=N. Lincoln Memorial Drive in Milwaukee
previous_type=WI
previous_route=17
next_type=WI
next_route=19In 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.

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 Countycite map|url=http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/maps/docs/counties/crawford.pdf | format=pdf | title=Crawford Co | publisher=Wisconsin Department of Transportation | accessdate=2008-01-01] 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.cite map|url=http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/maps/docs/counties/grant.pdf | format=pdf | title=Grant Co | publisher=Wisconsin Department of Transportation | accessdate=2008-01-01]

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.cite map|url=http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/maps/docs/counties/iowa.pdf | format=pdf | title=Iowa Co | publisher=Wisconsin Department of Transportation | accessdate=2008-01-01] 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.cite map|url=http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/maps/docs/counties/dane.pdf | format=pdf | title=Dane Co | publisher=Wisconsin Department of Transportation | accessdate=2008-01-01]

US 18 crosses WIS 89 and WIS 26 in Jefferson and passes through Sullivan.cite map|url=http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/maps/docs/counties/jefferson.pdf | format=pdf | title=Jefferson Co | publisher=Wisconsin Department of Transportation | accessdate=2008-01-01] 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.cite map|url=http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/maps/docs/counties/waukesha.pdf | format=pdf | title=Waukesha Co | publisher=Wisconsin Department of Transportation | accessdate=2008-01-01] 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.cite map|url=http://www.ci.waukesha.wi.us/Home/aldWrdMapCOLOR.pdf | format=pdf | title=City of Waukesha Ward and Aldermanic Districts Map | publisher=City of Waukesha | accessdate=2008-01-01] US 18 continues through Brookfield and Elm Grove along Blue Mound Road, and enter Milwaukee County and Wauwatosa. US 18 crosses WIS 100 and US 45 near the Milwaukee County Zoo and continues east into Milwaukee.cite map|url=http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/maps/docs/counties/milwaukee.pdf | format=pdf | title=Milwaukee Co | publisher=Wisconsin Department of Transportation | accessdate=2008-01-01] 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.cite map|url=http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=US+18,+Milwaukee&sll=43.043551,-87.925987&sspn=0.052441,0.118275&ie=UTF8&ll=43.035521,-87.977314&spn=0.052448,0.17458&z=13&om=1 | title=from:US-18, Milwaukee - Google Maps | publisher=Google | cartography=NAVTEQ | accessdate=2008-01-01]

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.cite web|url=http://www.broermapsonline.org/members/NorthAmerica/UnitedStates/Midwest/Wisconsin/unitedstates1926ra_036.html | title=Rand McNally Auto Road Atlas|year=1926|publisher=Rand McNally|accessdate=2008-01-01]

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.

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.

Major intersections

Prairie du Chien to Dodgeville

Jctint
state=WI
county=Crawford
cspan=2
location=Prairie du Chien
lspan=1
type=mplex
road=jct|state=WI|WI|35|dir1=North
notes=WIS 35 South follow US 18/WIS 60 EastJctint
state=WI
county=
cspan=
location=Bridgeport
lspan=1
type=mplex
road=jct|state=WI|WI|60|dir1=East
notes=WIS 60 West follow US 18 WestJctint
state=WI
county=Grant
cspan=4
location=Patch Grove
lspan=1
type=mplex
road=jct|state=WI|WI|35|WI|133|dir1=South|dir2=South|
notes=WIS 35 North follow US 18 West, WIS 133 North follow US 18 EastJctint
state=WI
county=
cspan=
location=Mount Hope
lspan=1
type=mplex
road=jct|state=WI|WI|133|dir1=north
notes=WIS 133 South follow US 18 WestJctint
state=WI
county=
cspan=
location=Fennimore
lspan=1
type=
road=jct|state=WI|US|61
notes=Jctint
state=WI
county=
cspan=
location=Montfort
lspan=1
type=mplex
road=jct|state=WI|WI|80|dir1=South
notes=WIS 80 North follow US 18 EastJctint
state=WI
county=Iowa
cspan=4
location=Cobb
lspan=1
type=mplex
road=jct|state=WI|WI|80|dir1=North
notes=WIS 80 South follow US 18 WestJctint
state=WI
county=
cspan=
location=Edmund
lspan=1
type=
road=jct|state=WI|WI|39
notes=Jctint
state=WI
county=
cspan=
location=Dodgeville
lspan=2
type=
road=jct|state=WI|WI|23
notes=Jctint
state=WI
county=
cspan=
location=
lspan=
type=mplex
road=jct|state=WI|US|151|dir1=South
notes=US 151 North follow US 18 East

Dodgeville to Cambridge

Cambridge to Milwaukee

Jctint
state=WI
county=Dane
cspan=1
location=Cambridge
lspan=1
type=mplex
road=jct|state=WI|US|12|dir1=East
notes=US 12 West follow US 18 WestJctint
state=WI
county=Jefferson
cspan=4
location=Jefferson
lspan=2
type=
road=jct|state=WI|WI|89
notes=Jctint
state=WI
county=
cspan=
location=
lspan=
type=
road=jct|state=WI|WI|26
notes=Jctint
state=WI
county=
cspan=
location=Helerville
lspan=1
type=
road=jct|state=WI|CTH|D
notes=Jctint
state=WI
county=
cspan=
location=Sullivan
lspan=1
type=
road=jct|state=WI|CTH|F
notes=Jctint
state=WI
county=Waukesha
cspan=10
location=Dousman
lspan=1
type=
road=jct|state=WI|WI|67
notes=Jctint
state=WI
county=
cspan=
location=Waterville
lspan=1
type=
road=jct|state=WI|CTH|P
notes=Jctint
state=WI
county=
cspan=
location=Wales
lspan=2
type=
road=jct|state=WI|CTH|C
notes=Jctint
state=WI
county=
cspan=
location=
lspan=
type=
road=jct|state=WI|WI|83
notes=Jctint
state=WI
county=
cspan=
location=
lspan=1
type=
road=jct|state=WI|CTH|G
notes=Jctint
state=WI
county=
cspan=
location=Waukesha
lspan=4
type=
road=jct|state=WI|CTH|T
notes=Jctint
state=WI
county=
cspan=
location=
lspan=
type=
road=jct|state=WI|CTH|J
notes=Jctint
state=WI
county=
cspan=
location=
lspan=
type=mplex
road=jct|state=WI|WI|164|dir1=South
notes=WIS 164 North follow US 18 EastJctint
state=WI
county=
cspan=
location=
lspan=
type=mplex
road=jct|state=WI|I|94|WI|164|dir2=North
notes=WIS 164 North follow I-94 West, WIS 164 South follow US 18 WestJctint
state=WI
county=
cspan=
location=Elm Grove
lspan=1
type=
road=jct|state=WI|CTH|O|name1=Moorland Road
notes=Jctint
state=WI
county=Milwaukee
cspan=6
location=Wauwatosa
lspan=3
type=
road=jct|state=WI|WI|100|name1=N. 108th St.
notes=Jctint
state=WI
county=
cspan=
location=
lspan=
type=
road=jct|state=WI|US|45
notes=Jctint
state=WI
county=
cspan=
location=
lspan=
type=
road=jct|state=WI|WI|181|name1=76th St.
notes=Jctint
state=WI
county=
cspan=
location=Milwaukee
lspan=3
type=
road=jct|state=WI|US|41
notes=Jctint
state=WI
county=
cspan=
location=
lspan=
type=noaccess
road=jct|state=WI|I|43
notes=Northbound access via Kilbourn St., Southbound access via W. McKinley BlvdJctint
state=WI
county=
cspan=
location=
lspan=
type=
road=jct|state=WI|WI|32|name1=N. Broadway, N. Milwaukee St.
notes=

References