WIS 85 (County O to 1010th Street), town of Rock Creek - Dunn County

Location

The proposed improvement project is on WIS 85, starting just west of the north junction of County O west of Rock Falls and ending 2,100 feet west of at 1010th Street, all in the Dunn County town of Rock Creek.

Overview

WIS 85, culverts and guardrail are showing signs of deterioration. In addition, this segment of highway has a history of run-off-the-road crashes. To address these, WisDOT is proposing to:

  • Remove a portion of the existing pavement from just west of the north junction of County O to the south junction of County H and place new pavement.
  • Remove and recycle a portion of the existing pavement from the south junction of County H to approximately 2,100 feet west of 1010th Street and overlay the roadway with new pavement.
  • Widen the paved shoulders from 3 to 5 feet.
  • Install centerline and shoulder rumble strips from the south junction of County H to about 2,100 feet west of 1010th Street.
  • Replace the existing drainage structure under WIS 85 east of the north junction of County H with a dual box culvert.
  • Extend a box culvert south of County H.
  • Replace a cattle pass that is no longer used with a culvert pipe.
  • Remove guardrail.
  • Improve the Chippewa River State Trail crossing to meet Americans With Disabilities Act standards.

Real Estate

Temporary limited easements will be required for the removal of the cattle pass and placement of culvert pipe at that location and for temporary Chippewa River State Trail crossings during construction.

In addition, permanent right of way will be required for grading purposes at the cattle pass removal and culvert pipe placement site north of 150th Avenue, along with the culvert extension and bridge replacement locations.

Property owners can learn more about their rights here. The information also is available in Hmong and Spanish.

In This Together

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has created the In This Together program to help businesses navigate construction.

Schedule

  • Construction currently is scheduled for 2026.

Traffic Impacts

During construction, WIS 85 will be closed, with through traffic detoured via US 10 and WIS 37. However:

  • Access to businesses and residences in the work zone will be maintained, but temporary driveway closures will be necessary during parts of construction. Project staff will contact property owners in advance of closing a driveway.
  • The Chippewa River State Trail also will remain open.

Project Documents

Please review the following for additional project information:

​Contacts

Nick Pitsch
WisDOT Northwest Region Project Manager
(715) 392-7976
nicholas.pitsch@dot.wi.gov

James Koenig
WisDOT Northwest Region Project Supervisor
(715) 838-8391
james.koenig@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
Northwest Region, Eau Claire Office
718 W. Clairemont Ave.
Eau Claire, WI 54701
(715) 836-2891, (800) 991-5285
nwr.dtsd@dot.wi.gov