U.S. Route 18 in Wisconsin

U.S. Highway 18 marker

U.S. Highway 18

Map
US 18 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by WisDOT
Length182.16 mi (293.16 km)
Existed1926–present
Major junctions
West end US 18 in Prairie du Chien
Major intersections
East endLincoln Memorial Drive in Milwaukee
Location
CountryUnited States
StateWisconsin
CountiesCrawford, Grant, Iowa, Dane, Jefferson, Waukesha, Milwaukee
Highway system
WIS 17 WIS 18

US Highway 18 (US 18) in the state of Wisconsin runs east–west across the southern part of the state. The highway serves as major connecting route between Madison and the southwest corner of the state. East of Madison, the route parallels Interstate 94 and serves as a local connection route to the communities along the interstate. US 18 enters Wisconsin at Prairie du Chien and ends in downtown Milwaukee at Lincoln Memorial Drive, across from the Milwaukee Art Museum.

Route description

US 18 enters Crawford County from Iowa, crossing the Mississippi River using the Marquette-Joliet Bridge just west of Prairie du Chien. WIS 60 begins at the state line and runs concurrent with US 18 east from there. The two highways turn south at the along with Wisconsin Highway 35 downtown and head southeast out of the city. WIS 60 branches northeast from US 18 at Bridgeport. US 18 and WIS 35 continue southeast into Grant County The two highways split at Patch Grove with WIS 35 continuing southeastward along with WIS 133 south, while US 18 turns eastward along with WIS 133 north. WIS 133 branches north at Mount Hope. US 18 and US 61 junction in downtown Fennimore. and WIS 80 north joins the highway in Montfort, on the Iowa County line.

US 18/WIS 133 in Patch Grove

WIS 80 turns north at Cobb while US 18 continues east through Dodgeville, crossing WIS 23 and joining US 151 North. The two U.S. routes share a common expressway and bypass Ridgeway and Barneveld on the way east into Dane County. in Dane County, US 18 and US 151 bypass Mount Horeb, crossing WIS 78 and WIS 92, and Verona and enter the Madison area, first passing through Fitchburg. Upon entering Madison, US 18 and US 151 join US 12 and US 14 east along the West Beltline Highway. US 151 and US 14 turn off the beltline three miles (5 km) east and US 12 and US 18 continue east, crossing US 51 and I-39 / I-90 southeast of Madison. Four miles east of the Interstates, US 12/US 18 becomes a two lane surface road again and passes through Cambridge, where US 12 splits southeast at the Jefferson County line.

US 18 crosses WIS 89 and WIS 26 in Jefferson and passes through Sullivan. Entering Waukesha County, Wisconsin, US 18 passes north of Dousman at WIS 67, south of the Kettle Moraine State Forest - Lapham Peak Unit and north of Wales at WIS 83. US 18 then enters Waukesha along Summit Avenue. US 18 turns south from Summit Avenue on the new section of Les Paul Parkway (aka the new Waukesha West Bypass) and goes the entire route of Les Paul Parkway going around the West, South and East areas of the City of Waukesha along with the current WI 59 and WI 164 configuration from County Highway X and US 18 joins back up at Moreland Boulevard at the northeast terminus at the Les Paul Parkway/Wolf Road intersection. So US 18 is now re-routed by using Les Paul Parkway and doesn't go through Downtown Waukesha anymore. WIS 164 turns west onto I-94, and US 18 continues east into Brookfield along Blue Mound Road. US 18 continues through Brookfield and Elm Grove along Blue Mound Road, and enter Milwaukee County and Wauwatosa. US 18 crosses WIS 100, US 45, US 41, and I-41 near the Milwaukee County Zoo and continues east into Milwaukee. At WIS 175, the highway shifts onto Wisconsin Ave. US 18 turns north onto North 35th street and east on to West Highland Ave where it crosses I-43 near downtown Milwaukee. US 18 turns south on 6th Street. East and westbound lanes split at State and 6th Streets; Eastbound continues south on 6th Street and then east on Wells Street. US 18 eastbound joins WIS 32 at North Broadway (southbound) and North Milwaukee Street (Northbound). Both directions turn east onto East Michigan Street as WIS 32 continues south. Westbound US 18 follows Milwaukee Street north from Michigan Street, turns west on State Street. At 6th Street, westbound US 18 reaches its eastern terminus, the junction of Michigan Street and Lincoln Memorial Drive five blocks east of WIS 32, and one block north of I-794.

History

Old US 18 bridge over the Wisconsin River in Bridgeport

Prior to 1926, the route that US 18 follows today was designated as WIS 19. By 1923, the WIS 19 extended from Prairie du Chien to Milwaukee. Shortly after US 18 was signed, it was rerouted along WIS 30 and WIS 19 - the present route within Milwaukee. The remainder of the route was relocated to its current alignment in 1932.

The eastern terminus was an originally stated in official DOT documentation to be the junction of East Michigan Street and North Harbor Drive. This matched what commercial street maps were showing after many years of inaccuracies.

Between 1980 and 1992, 38 miles (61 km) of US 18/US 151 was upgraded to expressway standards between Dodgeville and Madison. With the exception of a bypass around Verona, it was the final piece to be completed later in 1995 at a cost of $31 million. US 12/US 18 was upgraded to expressway standards between I-39/I-90 to North Star Road, west of Cambridge. The remainder wasn't expanded, but straightened out to eliminate sharp curves.

In 2019, as part of the construction to complete the Waukesha Bypass, US 18 has been rerouted as Temporary US 18 from WIS 83 in Wales, north along WIS 83 to I-94 and east along I-94 to exit 297 at Blue Mound Road where it rejoins the previous route.

That same year, two new interchanges opened in Fitchburg, replacing at-grade intersections with McKee Road (CTH PD) and Williamsburg Way.

Major intersections

CountyLocationmikmExitDestinationsNotes
Mississippi River0.000.00
US 18 west – Marquette, Charles City
Continuation into Iowa
Marquette–Joliet Bridge; Iowa–Wisconsin state line; western end of WIS 60 concurrency
CrawfordPrairie du Chien
WIS 27 north – Eastman

WIS 35 north – Lynxville
Western end of WIS 35 concurrency
Bridgeport
WIS 60 east – Wauzeka
Eastern end of WIS 60 concurrency
GrantTown of Patch Grove

WIS 35 south / WIS 133 south – Cassville Ferry
Eastern end of WIS 35 concurrency; western end of WIS 133 concurrency
Mount Hope
WIS 133 north – Boscobel
Eastern end of WIS 133 concurrency
Fennimore
US 61 north – Boscobel
Western end of US 61 concurrency

US 61 south – Lancaster
Eastern end of US 61 concurrency
GrantIowa
county line
Montfort
WIS 80 south – Platteville
Western end of WIS 80 concurrency
IowaCobb
WIS 80 north – Highland, Muscoda
Eastern end of WIS 80 concurrency
Town of Linden WIS 39 – Linden, Mineral Point
Dodgeville WIS 23 – Mineral Point, Spring Green
Town of Dodgeville47
US 151 south – Dubuque
Western end of US 151 concurrency
Town of Ridgeway52
CTH-BB south (Ridgevue Road) / CTH-HHH – Ridgeway
Opened in 2018
Barneveld58 CTH-ID – Barneveld
DaneTown of Blue Mounds65

Bus. US 18 / Bus. US 151 / WIS 78 – Mount Horeb, Blanchardville
US 18 Business / US 151 Business only signed northbound
Mount Horeb69

Bus. US 18 / Bus. US 151 / CTH-ID – Mount Horeb
US 18 Business / US 151 Business only signed southbound
Town of Springdale70
CTH-PD to CTH-P – Cross Plains
Town of Verona75 CTH-G (Dairy Ridge Road) – Mount Vernon
Verona76

Bus. US 18 / Bus. US 151 / CTH-MV (W. Verona Avenue) / Epic Lane
US 18 Business / US 151 Business only signed eastbound
77 WIS 69 – Belleville, New Glarus
79




CTH-PB to CTH-M / Alt. US 18 / Alt. US 151 – Paoli, Oregon
Alternate US 18 and Alternate US 151 only signed eastbound
Town of Verona81

Bus. US 18 / Bus. US 151 / CTH-MV – Verona
Southbound exit and northbound entrance only
Fitchburg83A CTH-PD (McKee Road)
83BWilliamsburg Way
Madison258

US 12 west / US 14 west (Beltline Highway) / Midvale Boulevard – Dodgeville
Western end of US 12 and US 14 concurrencys.
258ASeminole HighwayWestbound exit and eastbound entrance only
259Todd Drive
260 CTH-D (Fish Hatchery Road)Eastbound exits signed 260A (south) and 260B (north)
261



US 14 east / US 151 north (Park Street) / Alt. US 18 / Alt. US 151 – Oregon
Eastern end of US 14 and US 151 concurrencys; Alternate US 18 and Alternate US 151 only signed eastbound
262 CTH-MM (Rimrock Road)
263John Nolen Drive
Monona264
CTH-BW east (West Broadway)
265Monona Drive
Madison266 US 51 (Stoughton Road)
267
I-39 / I-90 to I-94 – Janesville, Chicago, Wisconsin Dells, Milwaukee
Signed as exits 267A (east/south) and 267B (west/north); I-39 / I-90 exit 142
269 CTH-ABNew interchange to be constructed in September 2022 with a completion date of late October 2023.
Town of Cottage Grove272 CTH-N – Cottage Grove, Stoughton
Town of Deerfield WIS 73 – Deerfield, EdgertonInterchange
Cambridge
WIS 134 north

US 12 east – Fort Atkinson
Eastern end of US 12 concurrency
JeffersonTown of Jefferson
WIS 89 north – Lake Mills
Western end of WIS 89 concurrency

WIS 89 south – Fort Atkinson
Eastern end of WIS 89 concurrency
WIS 26 – Fort Atkinson, Johnson CreekInterchange
Jefferson
Bus. WIS 26 (Main Street)
WaukeshaDousman WIS 67 – Oconomowoc, Eagle
Wales WIS 83 – Hartland, MukwonagoRoundabout
Waukesha
WIS 318 north (Meadowbrook Road)

CTH-TT south (Merlin Hills Road)

WIS 164 south
Western end of WIS 164 concurrency

I-94 / WIS 164 north – Milwaukee, Madison
Eastern end of WIS 164 concurrency
MilwaukeeWauwatosa WIS 100 (N. 108th Street)
I-41 / US 41 / US 45
WIS 181 (Glenview Avenue)
Milwaukee
To WIS 175 / Wisconsin Avenue

WIS 57 south (N. 27th Street)
Western end of WIS 57 concurrency

WIS 57 north (N. 20th Street)
Eastern end of WIS 57 concurrency

I-43 north – Green Bay
Northbound I-43 entrance and southbound I-43 exit only

WIS 145 north (N. 6th Street)
Western end of WIS 145 concurrency

WIS 145 ends
Eastern end of WIS 145 concurrency

WIS 32 north (E. Wells Street)
Western end of WIS 32 concurrency

WIS 32 south (E. Michigan Street)
Eastern end of WIS 32 concurrency
Lincoln Memorial Drive
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also


This page was last updated at 2023-04-05 17:50 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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