Interstate 39 in Wisconsin

Infobox road
state=WI
type=I
route=39


maint=WisDOT
length_mi=182
length_round=2
length_ref= [http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/reports/routefinder/table1.htm FHWA Route Log and Finder List: Table 1 - Interstate System - Design - FHWA ] ]
established=October 22, 1993
direction_a=South
terminus_a=Jct|state=IL|I|39 at the Illinois state line
junction=Jct|state=WI|I|90, near Beloit
Jct|state=WI|US|12|US|18 in Madison
Jct|state=WI|I|94 in Madison
Jct|state=WI|US|151 in Madison
Jct|state=WI|US|51 near Portage
Jct|state=WI|US|10 in Stevens Point
direction_b=North
terminus_b=Jct|state=WI|WI|29 in Wausau
previous_type=WI
previous_route=38
next_type=WI
next_route=39In the U.S. state of Wisconsin, Interstate 39 is an Interstate-standardFact|date=July 2008 freeway that runs north from the Illinois border near Beloit to just south of Wausau. This is a distance of 182 mi (293 km). With the exception of an eight-mile segment around Portage, the Interstate shares a route with at least one other route number. From Illinois to Portage, I-39 is concurrent with I-90. I-94 joins the pair in Madison until Portage. From Portage northward, US 51 is co-signed with the interstate. At convert|29|mi|km in length, this concurrency of three Interstates is the longest in the country.

Route description

Beloit to Portage

I-39 enters from Illinois along with I-90, passing under Stateline road, and bypasses Beloit to the east, meeting I-43 and WIS 81, both of which terminate at this interchange. Including WIS-81, two interchanges provide access to Beloit. The Interstates continue due north and are joined by WIS 11 seven miles north of the I-43 interchange as the route bypasses Janesville around the east and north. WIS 11 leaves the freeway two miles further north. US 14 and WIS 26 interchange with the freeway on the northeast side of Janesville. WIS 59 east of Edgerton. The highway then enters Dane County.cite map|url=http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/maps/docs/counties/rock.pdf | format=pdf | title=Rock Co | publisher=Wisconsin Department of Transportation | accessdate=2007-01-12]

US 51 joins the I-39/I-90 at the southern terminus of WIS 73 north of Edgerton, and leaves four miles north, seven miles east of Stoughton. The Interstate gradually turns westward around Utica to an interchange with CTH N. It then turns gradually back to the north and interchanges with US 12 and US 18 in Madison. I-39 and I-90 bypass Madison to the east, and I-94 joins the concurrency at the eastern terminus of WIS 30, an interchange known as the Badger Interchangecite web|url=http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/opencms/export/nr/modules/news/news_0396.html_786229440.html | format=html | title=WisDOT News Releases, I-94 reconstruction to be discussed September 19 | publisher=Wisconsin Department of Transportation | accessdate=2007-01-12] . The Interstate next crosses US 151 two miles further north, which includes a south-side access to High Crossing Boulevard. The last two Madison area interchanges are US 51 three miles northwest of the US 151 interchange and WIS 19 another mile northwest of the US 51 interchange. Access is provided to CTH V just west of DeForest four miles further north. I-39/I-90/I-94 enter Columbia County four miles north-northwest of CTH V.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=2007-01-12]

The Interstates cross WIS 60 at an interchange three miles north of the county line west of Arlington and CTH CS at another interchange four miles further north near Poynette. The highway crosses the Wisconsin River four miles north of CTH CS. At three miles further along the route from the river, I-39 leaves the concurrency with I-90 and I-94 and turns northward while the other two interstates turn northwest. WIS 78 terminates at this interchange and heads southwest. This is the starting point of the segment of freeway that carries the I-39 route alone. The interstate crosses WIS 33, the first of three interchanges accessing Portage, two miles north of I-90/I-94. After crossing the Wisconsin River again, I-39 crosses the second interchange - this one with WIS 16 and turns northeast to an interchange with US 51. The US route joins the Interstate and both turn north once again and leave the Portage area and, after four miles, enter Marquette County.cite map|url=http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/maps/docs/counties/columbia.pdf | format=pdf | title=Columbia Co | publisher=Wisconsin Department of Transportation | accessdate=2007-01-12]

Portage to Wausau

WIS 23 joins I-39/US 51 northbound after four miles from the county line. The three highway pass along Buffalo Lake and encounter a south-side half interchange with CTH D in the town of Packwaukee. WIS 23 leave the concurrency to the east at WIS 82 near Oxford. and the freeway takes a due north route to pass Westfield. I-39/US 51 enters Waushara County six miles north of Westfield.cite map|url=http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/maps/docs/counties/marquette.pdf | format=pdf | title=Marquette Co | publisher=Wisconsin Department of Transportation | accessdate=2007-01-12] Four miles north of the county line, I-39 / US 51 junction with WIS 21 in Coloma. I-39/US 51 meet an interchange in Hancock with CTH V five miles further north and WIS 73 crosses in Plainfield after another five miles. This is two miles south of the Portage County line.cite map|url=http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/maps/docs/counties/waushara.pdf | format=pdf | title=Waushara Co | publisher=Wisconsin Department of Transportation | accessdate=2007-01-12]

In Portage County, I-39/US 51 takes a straight due north trajectory which provides access to CTH D, CTH W and WIS 54 (also Business U.S. 51) over twelve miles. The WIS 54 interchange and the CTH B interchange a mile and a half north of it provide access for Plover. The next four interchanges - CTH H, US 10, WIS 66 and Business US 51 provide access to Stevens Point. Amongst these interchanges, the freeway turns northwestward, bypassing the city to the east and north. I-39/US 51 cross two more interchanges while in Portage County: Casimir Road four miles northwest of Stevens Pointcite map|url=http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=Casimir+Road,+Stevens+Point,+Wisconsin&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=46.495626,82.265625&ie=UTF8&z=16&iwloc=addr&om=1 | title=Casimir Road, Stevens Point, Wisconsin - Google Maps | publisher=Google | cartography=NAVTEQ | accessdate=2008-01-12] , and CTH X two miles north of Casimir Road. The freeway then parallels the Wiconsin River for six miles to an Interchange with CTH DB east of Lake DuBay and one mile south of the Marathon County line.cite map|url=http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/maps/docs/counties/portage.pdf | format=pdf | title=Portage Co | publisher=Wisconsin Department of Transportation | accessdate=2007-01-12]

WIS 34 terminates at an interchange with I-39/US 51 in Knowlton three miles northwest of the freeway's entry into Marathon County. The freeway turns due north from this interchange. WIS 153 crosses the freeway four miles further north in Mosinee. Maple Ridge Road crosses after another two miles as the freeway turns northeastward into Rothschild.cite map|url=http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=Maple+Ridge+Road,+Mosinee,+Wisconsin&sll=44.81146,-89.65496&sspn=0.040919,0.080338&ie=UTF8&z=14&iwloc=addr&om=1 | title=Maple Ridge Road, Mosinee, Wisconsin - Google Maps | publisher=Google | cartography=NAVTEQ | accessdate=2008-01-12] An interchange with Business US 51 is just south of the Wisconsin River crossing after four miles from Maple Ridge Road. I-39 ends two miles further north at the interchange with WIS 29 East just southwest of Wausau.cite map|url=http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/maps/docs/counties/marathon.pdf | format=pdf | title=Marathon Co | publisher=Wisconsin Department of Transportation | accessdate=2007-01-12]

History

I-39 became reality in Wisconsin with the announcement of the stretch between Portage and Wausau in 1996 by then Governor Tommy Thompson. This came after a five-year push to get the interstate designation approvedcite news| first = Steven | last = Walters title = U.S. 51 will become I-39 between Portage, Wausau | work = Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=MWSB&p_theme=mwsb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB82963E8D06152&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM |date=1996-01-16 |accessdate=2008-01-12] The route was officially designated in 1992. The remaining segment along I-90/I-94 was not signed for I-39 until late 1998cite web | last = Bessert | first = Chris | title =Wisconsin Highways: Highways 30-39 (Interstate 39) | work =Wisconsin Highways | url =http://www.wisconsinhighways.org/listings/WiscHwys30-39.html#I-039 | accessdate = 2008-01-12] The section between the I-90/I-94 interchange and US 51's interchange in Portage was previously a part of WIS 78. That route was truncated back to its current terminus when the Interstate's designation went into effect.cite web | last = Bessert | first = Chris | title =Wisconsin Highways: Highways 70-79(Highway 78) | work =Wisconsin Highways | url =http://www.wisconsinhighways.org/listings/WiscHwys70-79.html#STH_078 | accessdate = 2008-01-12] The designation of I-39 violated Wisconsin's rule of not having any state trunkline number duplicated - whether it be Interstate, U.S. or state, as WIS 39 already existed.

Exit list

Beloit to Portage

:"See Interstate 90 in Wisconsin from exits 185B-108B.

Portage to Wausau

References