Wisconsin Roads - US 51/WIS 29

US 51, 51/WIS 29



NB entering the state in 1986, courtesy Michael Summa. This is a US highway starting at Mile 0, so what does the "48" mean?


It's a bit backwards to say US 51 follows the I-39 corridor since US 51 was here first, but I-90 from Rockford to Portage was also here well before I-39 and that's the same corridor as US 51 (which is why 39 was extended this way). For all their time adjacent, US 51 NB only hops on I-90 WB/I-39 NB once, between Exits 160 and 156, but that's long enough for a pair of old signs.


US 51 SB at the US 12/18 freeway's Exit 266. US 18 remains multiplexed with US 12 well east of Madison and the end of the freeway. Apology for the cutoff (photos are courtesy Scott Colbert), and check out the multiple signs on a single panel, not even the usual WI one-piece standard.


Again courtesy Scott Colbert, again SB, again in Madison. I've seen 8ths and even 10ths before, but 1/6 is a pretty rare fraction, up there with 5ths and 3rds.

Too many messages spoil the sign, US 51 SB/WIS 29 EB.


This is the SB ramp to WIS 29 WB at Exit 191A. Something seems to be missing here. See if your kid can find it before you.


The closest the sky has ever come to being on fire since the Russian meteorite on 2/15/13, looking west at the sunset from US 51/WIS 29. The third photo includes the flyover ramps of the Exit 191 interchange between those routes.


Button copy NB at Exits 193 and 194, which carry the exit numbers from I-39. (Not sure how close the US 51 mileage is, but probably a bit more given its less direct routing through several towns and cities on the way up from Illinois.) I-39 is planned for extension up around Wausau, and I wonder whether WisDOT has considered converting Business US 51 to Business I-39 when that happens. The only motivation not to is so that the sign in the second photo is preserved.

I-39 and US 51/I-39
Onto WIS 29 alone


Into Illinois on US 51
Onto US 12
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