US 53 (County B to WIS 64) - Chippewa County

Location

The project limits on US 53 run from approximately 2,800 feet north of the County B interchange in Tilden to 4,500 feet north of the WIS 64 interchange in the town of Bloomer, all in Chippewa County.

Overview

The pavement on this section of US 53 is nearing the end of its service life. To address this and other issues, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation is proposing:

  • Replacing the concrete pavement and six inches of aggregate base course on US 53
  • Replacing the concrete pavement on the on- and off-ramps at the County B, WIS 40 and WIS 64 interchanges and County B, WIS 40 and WIS 64 between the ramps
  • Making repairs to the deck, pier and abutments on the bridge carrying County B over US 53
  • Repainting the girders on the bridge carrying County Q over US 53
  • Making repairs to the deck, pier and abutments on the bridge carrying WIS 40 over US 53 and repainting the structure's girders
  • Replacing culverts, guardrail, right-of-way fence and signage

Schedule

Construction currently is scheduled for 2032, but work could be advanced to 2028 if funding becomes available.

Traffic Impacts

During construction, US 53 will remain open to a single lane of traffic in both directions on the opposite side of the highway where work is occurring. In addition:

  • The interchange ramps at WIS 40 and WIS 64 will be closed for up to three weeks each, but the north- and southbound ramps at each interchange will not be closed at the same time. WIS 40 and WIS 64 are expected to remain open using staged construction.
  • County B and all its ramps will be fully closed for about three weeks too.

Public Involvement

WisDOT is seeking public comment on the proposed project. Please review the following for additional information:

Comments on the proposed project are being accepted through June 19, 2026, by:

Contacts

Eric Johnson
WisDOT Northwest Region Consultant Project Manager
(715) 551-0329
ejohnson@reiengineering.com

Nathan Ulness
WisDOT Northwest Region Project Supervisor
(715) 836-3914
nathan.ulness@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

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