U.S. Route 51 in Wisconsin

Infobox road
state=WI
type=US
route=51
length_mi=316.51
length_ref=DeLorme Street Atlas USA 2007, Driving directions. Retrieved on 2007-06-30.]
length_round=2
established=1926 (1917 as WIS 10)Fact|date=July 2007
maint=WisDOT
direction_a=South
direction_b=North
starting_terminus=jct|state=IL|US|51 at the Illinois border
junction=jct|state=WI|US|12|US|18 in Madison
jct|state=WI|US|151 in Madison
jct|state=WI|I|39|I|90|I|94 near Madison
jct|state=WI|I|39 near Portage
jct|state=WI|US|10 in Stevens Point
jct|state=WI|WI|29 in Wausau
jct|state=WI|US|8 near Tomahawk
ending_terminus=jct|state=WI|US|2 near Hurley
previous_type=WI
previous_route=50
next_type=WI
next_route=52
browse=wi browse
previous_type=US
previous_route=10
route=
next_type=WI
next_route=11In the U.S. state of Wisconsin, U.S. Route 51 (normally called U.S. Highway 51, Highway 51 or US 51) runs north-south down the central part of the state. It enters from Illinois at Beloit, and runs north to its northern terminus in Hurley where it junctions with US 2.

Route description

From Beloit, US 51 passes through Janesville, and Stoughton, then passes east of Madison as a side route paralleling Interstate 39 and Interstate 90 on the west side. North of Madison, US 51 parallels the interstate on the east side passing through De Forest and Portage. The route joins I-39 north of Portage. They stay joined until I-39 ends at WIS 29. Along the way, the route bypasses the small communities of Endeavor, Packwaukee, Westfield, Coloma, Hancock, Plainfield, Plover, and Whiting prior to arriving at Stevens Point. Proceeding north from Stevens Point, the highway bypasses Knowlton, Mosinee, and Rothschild where I-39 terminates at WIS 29 East interchange. US 51 continues on with WIS 29 for 5 miles bypassing Schofield, then proceeding into Wausau where WIS 29 splits to the west. US 51 continues as a freeway to Merrill

line.

The highway passes through Minocqua, Manitowish Waters, and Mercer on its northwest trek toward Hurley and its terminus - at its junction with US 2.

History

Prior to 1926, what is now US 51 was State Trunk Highway 10.cite web | last = Bessert | first = Chris | title =Wisconsin Highways: Highways 50-59 (U.S. Highway 51) | work =Wisconsin Highways | url =http://www.wisconsinhighways.org/listings/WiscHwys50-59.html#US-051 | accessdate = 2007-03-20]

US 51 was upgraded to a full freeway over a period of 25 years from Merrill to Portage. The freeway continues around Portage to the West as I-39 (originally as WIS 78) to connect with I-90 and I-94 while US 51 continues along surface roads into and through Portage. In the 1990s, US 51 was designated as I-39 from its junction with WIS 29 eastbound in Wausau to where it left the freeway at Exit 92 in Portage. US 51 remained cosigned with I-39 along this entire stretch of road. Further expansion of the highway northward took place in 2000 when the highway was upgraded to an expressway up to US 8.cite web | last = Bessert | first = Chris | title =Wisconsin Highways: Highways 50-59 (U.S. Highway 51) | work =Wisconsin Highways | url =http://www.wisconsinhighways.org/listings/WiscHwys50-59.html#US-051 | accessdate = 2007-03-20]

The Wisconsin mileage of US 51 is designated by the state as the Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway. [cite web
url=http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/archstories/late_roads/special_roads.asp
title=Special Roads
work=Wisconsin History Explorer
publisher=Wisconsin Historical Society
accessdate=2008-01-02]

Exit list

Portage to U.S. Route 8

ee also

*U.S. Route 151, diagonal route that runs from Amana Colonies in Iowa to Manitowoc
*Interstate 39, Cosigned from Wausau to Portage - also contains an Exit list which includes this portion.

References