State Trunk Highway 29 (often called Highway 29, STH-29 or WIS 29) is a
state highway
A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...
running east–west across central
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
. It is a major east–west corridor connecting the
Twin Cities
Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in statu ...
and the
Chippewa Valley
The Chippewa Valley is a valley in Wisconsin, US.
History
The valley was first inhabited by the Ojibwe and colonized by German and Scandinavian immigrants. The region also has a large Hmong community. While the term "Chippewa Valley" technicall ...
with
Wausau and
Green Bay. A multi-year project to upgrade the corridor to a four-lane
freeway
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...
or
expressway
Expressway may refer to:
* Controlled-access highway, the highest-grade type of highway with access ramps, lane markings, etc., for high-speed traffic.
* Limited-access road, a lower grade of highway or arterial road.
*Expressway, the fictional s ...
from
Elk Mound to Green Bay was completed in 2005. The expansion served to improve safety on the route, which was over capacity as a two-lane road. The remainder of WIS 29 is two-lane surface road or urban multi-lane road.
Route description
Prescott to Elk Mound
WIS 29 begins at its western terminus at
U.S. Highway 10 (US 10), on the north side of
Prescott. From this point, WIS 29 follows
WIS 35 northeast to
River Falls, passing the
University of Wisconsin–River Falls
The University of Wisconsin–River Falls (UW–River Falls or UWRF) is a public university in River Falls, Wisconsin. It is part of the University of Wisconsin System. The campus is situated on the Kinnickinnic River (St. Croix River), Kinnic ...
campus. At the junction with
WIS 65, WIS 35 turns northbound with WIS 65 while WIS 29 continues east. WIS 29 joins briefly with
US 63 west of
Spring Valley and turns eastbound upon its split south to head into Spring Valley.
Upon leaving Spring Valley and
Pierce County, Wisconsin
Pierce County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 42,212. Its county seat is Ellsworth.
Pierce County is part of the Minneapolis–St. Paul– Bloomington, MN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area ...
, the highway heads northwardward into
St. Croix County and turns east towards
Menomonie. WIS 29 does not pass through any municipalities while in this county, but it does cross
WIS 128.
Upon entering
Dunn County, the route passes through rural terrain and enters Menomonie's west side as Hudson Road. The highway turns northward onto Main Street and passes west and north of the
University of Wisconsin–Stout
The University of Wisconsin–Stout (UW–Stout or Stout) is a public university in Menomonie, Wisconsin. A member of the University of Wisconsin System, it enrolls more than 9,600 students. The school was founded in 1891 and named in honor of it ...
campus. WIS 29 turns east onto Stout Road along with
US 12 and leaves the city to the east.
US 12/WIS 29 proceeds east for about and junctions with
Interstate 94 (I-94). This interchange is the westernmost point of the multi-lane WIS 29 corridor.
It is also the westernmost point of WIS 29 as a backbone route in Corridors 2020.
Elk Mound to Wausau
West of County Highway T (CTH-T), the highway is an
expressway
Expressway may refer to:
* Controlled-access highway, the highest-grade type of highway with access ramps, lane markings, etc., for high-speed traffic.
* Limited-access road, a lower grade of highway or arterial road.
*Expressway, the fictional s ...
. It passes into the
Chippewa Valley
The Chippewa Valley is a valley in Wisconsin, US.
History
The valley was first inhabited by the Ojibwe and colonized by German and Scandinavian immigrants. The region also has a large Hmong community. While the term "Chippewa Valley" technicall ...
metropolitan area and south of
Chippewa Falls
Chippewa Falls is a city located on the Chippewa River (Wisconsin), Chippewa River in Chippewa County, Wisconsin, Chippewa County in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 14,778 in the 2021 census. Incorporated as ...
as a
freeway
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...
and crosses
US 53 at a cloverleaf interchange in
Lake Hallie.
WIS 29 junctions with the southern terminus of
WIS 178 southeast of Chippewa Falls then passes to the south of
Lake Wissota State Park
Lake Wissota State Park is a Wisconsin state park near the town of Chippewa Falls. The park is situated on the northeast shore of Lake Wissota, a reservoir on the Chippewa River. Camping, boating, and fishing are the most popular activities. ...
before crossing under
WIS 27 in
Cadott. WIS 29 passes south of
Boyd Boyd may refer to:
Places Canada
* Boyd Conservation Area, a conservation area located northwest of Toronto, Ontario
* Boyd Lake (disambiguation)
United States
* Boyd County (disambiguation)
* Boyd, Indiana
* Boyd, Iowa
* Boyd, Kansas
* Boyd ...
and
Stanley
Stanley may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Film and television
* ''Stanley'' (1972 film), an American horror film
* ''Stanley'' (1984 film), an Australian comedy
* ''Stanley'' (1999 film), an animated short
* ''Stanley'' (1956 TV series) ...
before exiting the county to the east.
In
Clark County, WIS 29 meets
WIS 73 in
Thorp
''Thorp'' is a Middle English word for a hamlet or small village.
Etymology
The name can either come from Old Norse ''þorp'' (also ''thorp''), or from Old English (Anglo-Saxon) ''þrop''. There are many place names in England with the suffi ...
. The two highways
run concurrently and exit the village to the east, and WIS 73 splits to the south in
Withee about east. WIS 29 continues east and passes south of
Owen
Owen may refer to:
Origin: The name Owen is of Irish and Welsh origin.
Its meanings range from noble, youthful, and well-born.
Gender: Owen is historically the masculine form of the name. Popular feminine variations include Eowyn and Owena. ...
and
Curtiss
Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company (1909 – 1929) was an American aircraft manufacturer originally founded by Glenn Hammond Curtiss and Augustus Moore Herring in Hammondsport, New York. After significant commercial success in its first decade ...
. At
Abbotsford, WIS 29 and
WIS 13 meet at a partial cloverleaf interchange between Abbotsford and
Colby on the Clark–
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...
county line.
east of Abbotsford, WIS 29 and
WIS 97 meet at a diamond interchange. This is a key route for travelers between Wausau and
Marshfield. East of this junction, WIS 29 follows a straight course that passes
Edgar
Edgar is a commonly used English given name, from an Anglo-Saxon name ''Eadgar'' (composed of '' ead'' "rich, prosperous" and ''gar'' "spear").
Like most Anglo-Saxon names, it fell out of use by the later medieval period; it was, however, rev ...
and meets
WIS 107 at a diamond interchange on the north side of
Marathon City, approximately west of Wausau. WIS 29 enters Wausau as a freeway, junctions with the western terminus of
WIS 52 approximately west of
US 51 at an eastbound off/westbound on style half-interchange. WIS 29 then immediately enters the new US 51 interchange, and turns south onto and follows US 51 for , bypassing the downtown area to the south.
Wausau to Green Bay
![US 51 WI 29 East Wausau](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/US_51_WI_29_East_Wausau.png)
South of Wausau, WIS 29 turns off US 51 to the east at the northern terminus of
I-39
Interstate 39 (I-39) is a highway in the Midwestern United States. I-39 runs from Normal, Illinois, at I-55 to State Trunk Highway 29 (WIS 29) in the town of Rib Mountain, Wisconsin, which is approximately south of Wausau. I- ...
and continues as freeway, passing through the villages of
Rothschild
Rothschild () is a name derived from the German ''zum rothen Schild'' (with the old spelling "th"), meaning "with the red sign", in reference to the houses where these family members lived or had lived. At the time, houses were designated by signs ...
and
Weston
Weston may refer to:
Places Australia
* Weston, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra
* Weston, New South Wales
* Weston Creek, a residential district of Canberra
* Weston Park, Canberra, a park
Canada
* Weston, Nova Scotia
* W ...
. The freeway section ends at
Ringle
In music publishing, a ringle was an attempt to revitalize the Compact disc, CD market by bundling a song in both full Single (music), single form and a shortened ringtone version on the same disc.
Conceived by Sony BMG Music Entertainment, a 'r ...
. As an expressway, the highway passes just south of
Hatley and turns southeast for about four miles (6 km) before turning east again at the northern terminus of
WIS 49.
The highway enters
Shawano County
Shawano County (pronounced SHAW-no) (originally Shawanaw County) is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 40,881. Its county seat is Shawano, ...
about east of this junction.
WIS 29 passes north and around
Wittenberg
Wittenberg ( , ; Low Saxon language, Low Saxon: ''Wittenbarg''; meaning ''White Mountain''; officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg (''Luther City Wittenberg'')), is the fourth largest town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Wittenberg is situated on the Ri ...
.
US 45 joins with the highway north of Wittenberg and the two routes run concurrently to where US 45 splits to the south at about east of the village. WIS 29 bypasses
Tilleda
Tilleda is a village and a former municipality in the Mansfeld-Südharz district, in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. Since 1 July 2009, it has been part of the town Kelbra. Tilleda is located at the northern rim of the Kyffhäuser mountain rang ...
and
Thornton on the way towards
Shawano. At Shawano, the expressway becomes a freeway at the junction with CTH-MMM (WIS 29 Business) and turns southeast to bypass Shawano to the south, diamond interchanges link the highway with
WIS 22 and
WIS 47 north/
WIS 55 north as it pass south of the city. WIS 47 south and WIS 55 south follow WIS 29 east. WIS 47 splits to the south at the diamond interchange junction with
WIS 117 south of
Bonduel. WIS 29 (along with WIS 55) then returns to an expressway at the junction with CTH-BE (WIS 29's former route). WIS 55 splits to the south at the diamond interchange junction with
WIS 160 at
Angelica
''Angelica'' is a genus of about 60 species of tall biennial and perennial herbs in the family Apiaceae, native to temperate and subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere, reaching as far north as Iceland, Lapland, and Greenland. They grow t ...
and WIS 29 heads southeast to the
Brown County line.
![Highway 29 to 41 Flyovers](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/Highway_29_to_41_Flyovers.jpg)
About into Brown County, WIS 29 collects
WIS 32
State Trunk Highway 32 (often called Highway 32, STH-32 or WIS 32) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Wisconsin that runs north–south in eastern Wisconsin. It runs from the Illinois border (at Illinois Route 137) north to the Michigan bord ...
eastbound at the diamond interchange with
WIS 156
State Trunk Highway 156 (often called Highway 156, STH-156 or WIS 156) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The highway runs east–west through northeast Wisconsin, passing through Waupaca and Shawano counties. Highway 156 run ...
and CTH-Y. WIS 29 very briefly passes through the northeast corner of
Outagamie County
Outagamie County is a county in the northeast region of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 190,705. Its county seat is Appleton.
Outagamie County is included in the Appleton, WI Metropolitan Statistical Are ...
and enters the village of
Howard
Howard is an English-language given name originating from Old French Huard (or Houard) from a Germanic source similar to Old High German ''*Hugihard'' "heart-brave", or ''*Hoh-ward'', literally "high defender; chief guardian". It is also probabl ...
. The multilane expressway and the Backbone Corridor route end at
Interstate 41
Interstate 41 (I-41) is a north–south Interstate Highway connecting the interchange of I-94 and U.S. Route 41 (US 41), located south of the Wisconsin–Illinois border at the end of the Tri-State Tollway in metropolitan Ch ...
/
US 41.
WIS 32 turns south onto I-41/US 41 as WIS 29 continues into
Green Bay as Shawano Avenue.
Green Bay to Kewaunee
![KewauneeWisconsinWIS29EastTerminusDecember2010](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/KewauneeWisconsinWIS29EastTerminusDecember2010.jpg)
In downtown Green Bay, WIS 29 turns north onto South Monroe Avenue for four blocks, joining with
WIS 54 and turns east onto Main Street, splitting from WIS 54 and joining
US 141 to leave the city to the southeast. The highways pass over
I-43
Interstate 43 (I-43) is a Interstate Highway located entirely within the US state of Wisconsin, connecting I-39/ I-90 in Beloit with Milwaukee and I-41, U.S. Highway 41 (US 41) and US 141 in Green Bay. State Trunk Highwa ...
without an interchange. WIS 29 splits to the east from US 141 at about north of US 's southern terminus at I-43 in
Bellevue Bellevue means "beautiful view" in French. It may refer to:
Placenames
Australia
* Bellevue, Western Australia
* Bellevue Hill, New South Wales
* Bellevue, Queensland
* Bellevue, Glebe, an historic house in Sydney, New South Wales
Canada ...
. This provides the only access from I-43 to WIS 29. The highway passes through
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
and
Henrysville as it exits Brown County to the east.
In
Kewaunee County
Kewaunee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,563. Its county seat is Kewaunee. The county was created in 1852 and organized in 1859. Its Menominee name is ''Kewāneh'', an arc ...
, WIS 29 passes due east through
Pilsen and north of
Krok as a two-lane road. The highway ends in downtown
Kewaunee
Kewaunee is a city in Kewaunee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,837 at the 2020 census. Located on the northwestern shore of Lake Michigan, the city is the county seat of Kewaunee County. Its Menominee name is ''Kewāneh'', ...
at
WIS 42 on the shores of
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that o ...
.
History
Prior to 1926, WIS 29 was numbered WIS 116 from Minnesota to Chippewa Falls, WIS 16 from Chippewa Falls to
Bellevue Bellevue means "beautiful view" in French. It may refer to:
Placenames
Australia
* Bellevue, Western Australia
* Bellevue Hill, New South Wales
* Bellevue, Queensland
* Bellevue, Glebe, an historic house in Sydney, New South Wales
Canada ...
, and WIS 146 from Bellevue to Kewaunee. WIS 16 continued southeast from Bellevue along what became
US 141 in 1926 to
Manitowoc. What had been WIS 29 before 1926 became
US 16 across the state.
WIS 29 has long been known as "Bloody 29" because of the prevalence of grisly fatal traffic crashes along significant portions of the highway.
In 1988, a study was commissioned to examine upgrading the highway to a four-lane
divided highway
A dual carriageway ( BE) or divided highway ( AE) is a class of highway with carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation (BrE) or median (AmE). Roads with two or more carriageways which are ...
. The changes would be made along of road from I-94, west of Elk Mound, to US 41 in
Howard
Howard is an English-language given name originating from Old French Huard (or Houard) from a Germanic source similar to Old High German ''*Hugihard'' "heart-brave", or ''*Hoh-ward'', literally "high defender; chief guardian". It is also probabl ...
(suburban
Green Bay). The final segment of the highway, connecting the east side of Chippewa Falls with the segment running north of
Eau Claire, was opened to traffic on August 16, 2005. Of the total length, about of the highway meets
Interstate Highway standards
Standards for Interstate Highways in the United States are defined by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in the publication ''A Policy on Design Standards: Interstate System''. For a certain highway to ...
.
Most of the expansion was completed with only minor additions to the already-existing easements, and as a result, the expanded roadway almost exactly matches the highway's original course.
The portion of WIS 29 between Chippewa Falls and Abbotsford roughly follows what used to be the
Yellowstone Trail
The Yellowstone Trail was the first transcontinental automobile highway through the upper tier of states in the United States, established on May 23, 1912. It was an Auto Trail that ran from the Atlantic Ocean in Plymouth, Massachusetts, throug ...
.
Future
Long range plans call for WIS 29 to be converted to a full freeway between I-94 in Elk Mound and I-41 in Green Bay, however, there is no timetable for the entire corridor to be completed.
Major intersections
Business routes
WIS 29 has four
business route
A business route (or business loop, business spur, or city route) in the United States is a short special route connected to a ''parent'' numbered highway at its beginning, then routed through the central business district of a nearby city or ...
s:
* Business WIS 29 in Chippewa Falls
* Business WIS 29 in Abbotsford
* Business WIS 29 in Wittenberg
* Business WIS 29 in Shawano
See also
*
References
External links
*{{commons category-inline, Wisconsin Highway 29
029
Transportation in Pierce County, Wisconsin
Transportation in St. Croix County, Wisconsin
Transportation in Dunn County, Wisconsin
Transportation in Chippewa County, Wisconsin
Transportation in Clark County, Wisconsin
Transportation in Marathon County, Wisconsin
Transportation in Shawano County, Wisconsin
Transportation in Brown County, Wisconsin
Transportation in Kewaunee County, Wisconsin
Transportation in Green Bay, Wisconsin
U.S. Route 16