Location
US 53, just south of US 53/County E intersection, between Spooner and Minong, town of Trego - Washburn County.
Overview
To improve safety along US 53 in Washburn County, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation plans to build a new interchange just south of the existing US 53/County E. Additional modifications to the roadways include:
- County E/Oak Hill Drive
- The at-grade intersection of US 53 with County E/Oak Hill Drive will be eliminated. Access to properties along County E and Oak Hill Drive will be provided via the newly constructed interchange and frontage road system.
- US 63/Liesch Road
- The at-grade intersection of US 53 with US 63/Liesch Road will be eliminated. Access to properties along Liesch Road will be provided via a westerly frontage road that will connect to existing County E and Benson Boulevard, Wood Drive and Liesch Road.
- Access to properties along existing US 63 between US 53 and Wild Rivers State Trail will be provided via the new US 53/US 63 interchange and realigned US 63 or the easterly frontage road along US 53.
- Uncle Mike's Bar and Grill and Wild River Sport & Marine
- A shared private entrance along US 53 providing access to Uncle Mike's Bar and Grill and Wild River Sport & Marine will be eliminated. Access to these businesses will be provided via a new westerly frontage road that will connect to Mackey Road and the new interchange.
-
Project overview map
Project Need
Crashes that have occurred along US 53 in the Trego area result in a fatality rate that exceeds the state average for similar type facilities (3.2 compared to 1.8 per million miles of vehicular traffic). In addition, seasonal peaks in traffic due to high tourism in the summer result in significant traffic delays at the US 53/US 63 at-grade intersection for westbound US 63 traffic wanting to enter US 53.
Traffic Impacts
It is anticipated that US 53 and US 63 will remain open to traffic during construction.
- At times, local roads may be closed to accommodate different stages of construction.
- US 53 is expected to be reduced to a single lane in each direction.
- Temporary traffic signals will be used at the existing intersection of US 53 and US 63 throughout most of construction.
- Traffic control, 2022
-
Project construction site
Access to businesses will be maintained during construction, although alternative routes will most likely be required due to temporary or permanent closures of existing intersections along US 53.
Schedule
This is a two-year project. Construction started in spring 2021, and the entire project is scheduled for completion in fall 2022.
Lakeside Landing Removal
After evaluating the safety of both the traveling public and the waterway users in the area of the National Park Service (NPS) visitor center, considering public comments and completing extensive coordination with federal oversight agencies including the NPS and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), it has been determined that the existing landing steps will be removed as a part of the Trego interchange project. Documentation of the decision is found in the Environmental Re-Evaluation #2, signed by the FHWA on Aug. 28, 2020.
Project Documents
Updates
