The arrival of spring in Wisconsin also means the beginning of road construction season.
Travelers will face detours and delays resulting from road construction projects throughout the spring, summer and fall in Marshfield and Wood County. Here’s a list of current and upcoming projects to consider in your travel plans and what local drivers can expect to encounter.
Marshfield
Planned street construction projects in Marshfield in 2026 are mostly located in residential areas and street closures will mainly impact nearby residents and businesses. Exact project schedules not yet available but no major detours will be needed except for the Becker Road project, Tim Cassidy, city engineer, told a Marshfield News-Herald reporter in an email. Impacted streets will be signed as closed to traffic but access will be maintained for local residents, businesses and deliveries.
Concrete repair and overlays
These projects repair concrete pavement, sewers, curbs, gutters manholes and catch basins before a new asphalt surface is overlayed on the concrete driving surface, according to Cassidy.
Pulverize and repave projects
Several streets and alleys across the city will have their existing asphalt surfaces pulverized, sewers repaired, ditches re-graded or drain tile installed, surfaces repaved and shoulders rebuilt, according to Cassidy. These planned projects include:
Mill and Repave projects
Several streets and alleys across the city will have their existing asphalt surfaces milled, manholes and catch basins adjusted and asphalt surface repaved, according to Cassidy. These planned projects include:
Other sewer and drainage projects
These projects may require temporary street closures and minor concrete repairs to pavement or sidewalks and traffic impacts are likely, according to Cassidy.
Wood County
Wood County F/Wood County F & HH intersection: More than 5 miles of Wood County F between 17th Avenue in Wisconsin Rapids and the Wood County HH intersection will be repaved and a roundabout will be constructed in the intersection in a project set to begin in late May or early June and expected to be completed in September, Brandon Whipple, Wood County highway engineer, told a Marshfield News-Herald reporter in an email. Work on repaving Wood County F is expected to begin in June. The repaved driving surface will be increased to 34 feet wide and work on the roadway’s shoulders will also be completed in the project.
Marathon County
Marathon County F: About 7.4 miles of Marathon County F between Marathon County P and Marathon County C east of Spencer will be resurfaced in a project set to begin in early July and be completed in early September, Kevin Lang, highway commissioner, said in an email to a Marshfield News-Herald reporter. An additional “asphalt stabilized base course” will require a two-week curing period prior to paving operations. The road will be posted as closed but access will be maintained for area residents and businesses. Travelers along the roadway should expect delays in the project area.
Portage County
Portage County E: About 4.8 miles of Portage County E between Portage County HH/Old U.S. 10 and Dam Road in the towns of Eau Pleine and Carson will be repaved in a project expected to begin in early August and be completed by September, Lucas Meddaugh, engineer with Portage County, told a Marshfield News-Herald reporter in an email. The roadway will remain open during the project but traffic is encouraged to use alternative routes until paving is complete as flagging operations will cause delays.
State projects
State 73/State 80/Wood County A intersection: About 4,450 feet of State 80 through Pittsville and the intersection with State 73 and Wood County A will be resurfaced and reconstructed, respectively, in a project that began April 27 and is expected to be completed by Aug. 28, Bryan Rose, Wisconsin Department of Transportation regional communications manager, told a Marshfield News-Herald reporter in an email. The intersection will be redesigned as a roundabout and State 80 will be repaved from the State 73 intersection to the intersection with Jackson Street in Pittsville. Additionally, curb ramps will be reconstructed, curb and gutters will be replaced, and sidewalk work will be completed throughout the project and two culverts will be replaced on State 73 east of the intersection with State 80 and on State 80 south of Pittsville. Traffic will be detoured on a route utilizing Wood County X, State 54 and State 13.
State 13/34: About 6.8 miles of State 13/34 between Second Street North and Portage County P in Rudolph will receive asphalt resurfacing, culvert replacements, bridge rehabilitation, and guard rail replacement in a project that began April 13 and is expected to end in November, according to Rose. The road is closed to through traffic and a signed detour will lead traffic to alternative routes using State 66, Interstate 39 and U.S. 10.
State 29: About 10 miles of divided highway between State 97 and Purple Martin Lane about a mile west of Marathon City will receive concrete repair and replacement, guardrail replacement, and culvert replacement under the westbound lane in a project that began April 6 and is expected to be completed by Nov. 13, according to Rose. The highway will remain open to traffic throughout the project but single lane closures are likely to cause delays for travelers.
Erik Pfantz covers local government and education in central Wisconsin for USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin and values his background as a rural Wisconsinite. Contact him at epfantz@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Marshfield News-Herald: How road construction will impact travel in the Marshfield area
Reporting by Erik Pfantz, Marshfield News-Herald / Marshfield News-Herald
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