Wisconsin Highway 81
Route information | ||||
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Maintained by WisDOT | ||||
Length | 123.81 mi[1] (199.25 km) | |||
Major junctions | ||||
West end | WIS 133 in Cassville | |||
East end | I-43 in Beloit | |||
Location | ||||
Country | United States | |||
State | Wisconsin | |||
Counties | Grant, Lafayette, Green, Rock | |||
Highway system | ||||
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State Trunk Highway 81 (often called Highway 81, STH-81 or WIS 81) is a
Route description
The highway begins at an intersection with
The highway runs southeasterly along the WIS 80 concurrency, intersecting with
East of Argyle, the highway runs southeasterly towards Monroe before running concurrently with WIS 11 along a bypass alignment just north of Monroe. The concurrency runs east, passing by Juda before the highway leaves the concurrency and runs southeast from it. The highway curves east in Newark before entering Beloit along Liberty Avenue. West of the Rock River, the highway follows a short concurrency with WIS 213. After crossing the Rock River, the highway intersects US 51 before running northeast from it and terminating at an interchange with Interstate 39/Interstate 90 (I-39/I-90) and continuing as I-43.[2]
History
The route first appeared as a state trunk highway in the early 1920s but was split into three differently designated segments: from Cassville to the beginning of the WIS 35 (then WIS 65) concurrency, it was WIS 105; from the beginning of said concurrency to Monroe, it was part of WIS 65; and from the end of the WIS 11 (then WIS 20), it was part of WIS 61.[3] In 1924, the entire route was signed as a western extension of WIS 61.[4] In 1927, the highway, along with the rest of WIS 61, had been renumbered to WIS 14.[5] In 1934, when US 14 was designated within the state, the entire route was renumbered to WIS 81.[6] Between 1948 and 1956, the entire route within Grant County was paved. The sections which were not paved in 1956 were the entire route in Lafayette County, between the WIS 11 concurrency and Newark, and a short section along the WIS 11 concurrency near Juda.[7][8]
In 2021, the eastern terminus of the highway was extended to I-43's exit 1 (CTH-X) and the interchange at I-39/90 was changed to a diverging diamond interchange. I-43 now terminates at a directional-T interchange at I-39/90, and the eastern terminus at I-43 is now a dumbbell interchange.
Major junctions
County | Location | mi[2] | km | Destinations | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Grant | Cassville | 0.0 | 0.0 | WIS 133 / Great River Road – Nelson Dewey State Park, Stonefield Historic Site | |
Beetown | 11.6 | 18.7 | WIS 35 north – Prairie du Chien | Western end of WIS 35 concurrency | |
US 61 north (Madison Street) | Northern end of US 61 concurrency | ||||
21.6 | 34.8 | Southern end of US 61/WIS 35 concurrency | |||
Platteville | 34.8 | 56.0 | WIS 80 north – Livingston, Montfort | Northern end of WIS 80 concurrency | |
Platteville (town) line | 36.5 | 58.7 | US 151 – Madison, Dubuque | Interchange | |
Smelser | 40.2 | 64.7 | WIS 80 south – Cuba City, Hazel Green | Southern end of WIS 80 concurrency | |
Lafayette | Elk Grove | 45.6 | 73.4 | WIS 126 north – Belmont | |
Darlington–Darlington (town) line | 55.8 | 89.8 | WIS 23 south – Shullsburg | Southern end of WIS 23 concurrency | |
Darlington | 56.9 | 91.6 | WIS 23 north (Main Street) | Northern end of WIS 23 concurrency | |
Argyle | 71.7 | 115.4 | WIS 78 south – Gratiot | Western end of WIS 78 concurrency | |
72.1 | 116.0 | WIS 78 north – Blanchardville | Eastern end of WIS 78 concurrency | ||
Green | Town of Monroe | 85.7 | 137.9 | WIS 11 west / WIS 69 south – Dubuque, Freeport | Western end of WIS 11/WIS 69 concurrency; interchange |
86.6 | 139.4 | Bus. WIS 11 – Verona | Eastern end of WIS 69 concurrency; interchange | ||
Monroe (town)–Monroe line | 87.7 | 141.1 | WIS 59 east – Albany | Interchange | |
Spring Grove | 99.5 | 160.1 | WIS 11 east / CTH-GG north – Brodhead | Eastern end of WIS 11 concurrency | |
Rock | Beloit | 118.5 | 190.7 | WIS 213 north – Orfordville | Western end of WIS 213 concurrency |
119.7 | 192.6 | WIS 213 south (4th Street) | Eastern end of WIS 213 concurrency | ||
120.0 | 193.1 | US 51 (Riverside Drive, Pleasant Street) | |||
123.1 | 198.1 | I-39 / I-90 / Alt. I-43 – Madison, Chicago | I-39/I-90 exit 185; diverging diamond interchange | ||
Turtle | 124.8 | 200.8 | CTH-X east | Western end of CTH-X concurrency | |
125.1 | 201.3 | tri-stack interchange . | |||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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See also
- U.S. Roads portal
References
- ^ Bessert, Chris. "Highways 80–89". Wisconsin Highways. Retrieved March 20, 2007.[self-published source]
- ^ a b c d Google (April 10, 2020). "Length and Route of WIS 81" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
- OCLC 708376740. Retrieved April 11, 2020 – via Wisconsin Historical Society.
- OCLC 664274042. Retrieved April 11, 2020 – via Wisconsin Historical Society.
- OCLC 671337231. Retrieved April 11, 2020 – via Wisconsin Historical Society.
- OCLC 227048467. Retrieved April 11, 2020 – via Wisconsin Historical Society.
- OCLC 770711221. Retrieved April 11, 2020 – via Wisconsin Historical Society.
- ^ Wisconsin Highway Commission (1956). "Wisconsin State Atlas 1956 Highway Maps". Madison: Wisconsin Highway Commission. Retrieved April 11, 2020 – via Historic Map Works.