For release: March 19, 2026
To invest in Wisconsin’s transportation system, Governor Evers signed a $6.2 million contract to improve US 8, between WIS 47 and WIS 17 North, in the town of Pelican. Work is scheduled to begin in April 2026.
In addition, a construction information meeting will be held Thursday, April 2 at 5 pm at the Rhinelander City Hall, 135 S Stevens St, Rhinelander, WI 54501. Project staff will share construction details, staging, schedule, traffic impacts and other information.
Musson Brothers is the prime contractor for the project. Crews will remove the existing asphalt and concrete pavement, pave a new asphalt pavement surface and install centerline rumble strips. The intersections of WIS 17 South/WD Boyce Drive and County G with US 8 will be reconstructed as single lane roundabouts. The WIS 17 North/Germond Road intersection with US 8 will be milled and overlayed.
During construction, US 8 will be closed during construction and detoured onto WIS 17 North, Lincoln Street, South Courtney Street, Pelham Street, Arbutus Street and Kemp Street. Temporary pavement will be used at the WIS 17 South/WD Boyce Drive and County G intersections to allow access to the detour route from WIS 17 South. Temporary pavement and temporary signals will be used at the County G intersection to allow through traffic on County G.
Construction is scheduled for completion by November 2026. The schedule is dependent on favorable weather conditions and construction progress.
For more information regarding traffic impacts, transportation news and improvement project updates in Wisconsin’s North Central Region:
- Follow us on Twitter: @WisDOTNorthCent
- Visit the region’s 511 website: https://projects.511wi.gov/region/north-central/
Motorists are reminded that using handheld cell phones in Wisconsin work zones is illegal. Alerts and updates provided via these sites are not intended for use while driving. When driving, your focus should always be on driving.
For more information, contact: