Feedback now open through July 17 on Highway 29 road project

Highway 29 will be getting some needed preventative maintenance soon, and with that will come construction impacts to the area of repair.

First built back in 1994, the section of highway from Koser Avenue to County Highway D is now 30 years old, the maintenance to make it last another 20 years is estimated at $20 - $24 million and is being undertaken as a cost saving measure, rather than replacing the entire roadway early for more. Scheduled to have final plans by August 2024 and be completion by November 2025, the project will see Highway 29 continue to remain open during construction, with work completed on one lane at a time (one lane closed each way, the other open each way), with continuous lane closures allowed except for the month of August due to traffic volumes.

Here’s what we else know so far for proposed improvements to the 15.137 miles of highway under consideration with the project:

• Concrete pavement repair and asphalt overlay of the highway
• Concrete repair and 3/4-inch asphalt overlay of interchanges at County M at Thorp as well as County T at Withee
• Replacement of beam guardrail to meet current WisDOT standards
• Repairing of deck joints on both bridge sections over the Black River
• Replacement of wing walls on culverts by the Popple River and just east of Sterling Avenue
• Culvert repair or lining to improve roadway drainage
• Minor grading of ditches near culverts to promote drainage

Scheduled to have final plans by August 2024 and be completion by November 2025, the project will see Highway 29 continue to remain open during construction, with work completed on one lane at a time (one lane closed, the other open each way), with continuous lane closures allowed except for the month of August due to traffic volumes. No real estate purchases are anticipated as part of the maintenance project, right of way being purchased for driveways by the DOT at the time of initial highway construction.

Now hosting around 14,300 vehicles per day, Highway 29 is projected to see this jump to 17,400 vehicles per day by 2045, with at grade highway access points to remain open. Readers are asked to submit project feedback to:

Wisconsin Department of Transportation

718 W. Clairemont Avenue

Eau Claire, WI 54701

Attn: Jesse Larson, PE

The project ID is 1050-00-62, with a feedback deadline of July 17, 2023. Comments should include name and address, with daytime phone number and email address optional.