WIS 29 (County X Bridge), town of Lafayette - Chippewa County

Location

County X bridge over WIS 29 east of Chippewa Falls in the Chippewa County town of Lafayette.

Overview

Built in 1966, the bridge is reaching the end of its service life. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is proposing to:

  • Replace the structure.
  • Replace approach pavement on either side of the bridge.
  • Replace guardrail on the bridge approaches and in the WIS 29 median.
  • Replace culvert pipes under the WIS 29 eastbound exit ramp to County X.

Schedule

Construction currently is scheduled for 2028.

Traffic Impacts

During construction:

WIS 29 will remain open to traffic.

During peak travel times, all lanes of WIS 29 will be open to traffic in the work zone.

During non-peak travel times, one lane in both directions will be open to traffic.

Nighttime closures of WIS 29 will be necessary for critical bridge work, with traffic detoured.

  • Eastbound WIS 29: Traffic will exit at the WIS 178/Business WIS 29 interchange (exit 79) and follow WIS 178 north to County J east and then south to return to WIS 29.
  • Westbound WIS 29: Traffic will exit at the County J interchange (exit 81) to County J north to County X west to return to WIS 29.
  • The WIS 29 eastbound ramp to County X at exit 80 will be closed for the duration of the project.
    • WIS 29 eastbound traffic wanting to exit onto County X will be detoured to the 50th Avenue interchange (exit 81), approximately 0.75 mile east of exit 80 on WIS 29; motorists will then head east on 50th Avenue and north on County J to access County X.
    • Exit 80 detour
  • The ramp from County X to WIS 29 westbound will remain open during construction.

Public Involvement

WisDOT held a public involvement meeting on Nov. 20, 2024, to provide details about the proposed project and obtain public input. The following documents were shared during the meeting:

Contacts

James Rinzel
WisDOT Northwest Region Project Leader
(715) 836-2800
james.rinzel@dot.wi.gov

Zach VanOstrand
WisDOT Northwest Region Consultant Project Manager
(612) 427-2838
zach.vanostrand@peservicesmn.com

Nicole Passuello
WisDOT Northwest Region Project Supervisor
(715) 833-5572
nicole.passuello@dot.wi.gov

Christena T. O'Brien
WisDOT Northwest Region Communications Manager
(715) 833-9814, (715) 828-9471
christena.obrien@dot.wi.gov

Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT)
Northwest Region, Eau Claire Office
718 W. Clairemont Ave.
Eau Claire, WI 54701
(715) 836-2891, (800) 991-5285
nwr.dtsd@dot.wi.gov