Highways 140 through 149

STH-140 | US-141 | STH-142 | Former STH-143 | STH-144 | STH-145 | STH-146 | STH-147 | Former STH-149 | Jump to Bottom

Southern Terminus:

Illinois state line at a connection with IL SR-76, four miles south of Clinton

Northern Terminus:

US-14 just east of Emerald Grove (7 miles east of downtown Janesville)

Length:

11.58 miles

Map:

Route Map of STH-140

Notes:

STH-140 is essentially a northerly continuation of Illinois' SR-76.

History:

This highway is one of the few which has existed along its present routing without major change or rerouting over the course of its history. STH-140 was commissioned in the early 1920s (1921-24), and has seen very little change since then.

Freeway/Expwy:

None.

Continue on:

IL STH-76 south into Illinois - via Rich Carlson's Illinois Highways Page.
Illinois State Route 76 - Charles Sarjeant's Illinois Highways Ends website.

Photographs:

Weblinks:

• None.

SOUTH SEGMENT:

Southern Terminus:

I-43 at Exit 178 (jct CTH-MM) near Bellevue, southeast of downtown Green Bay

Northern Entrance:

Michigan state line on the Menominee River bridge in Niagara

Length:

102.24 miles

NORTH SEGMENT:

Southern Entrance:

Michigan state line (concurrently with US-2) on the Menominee River bridge east of Spread Eagle

Northern Entrance:

Michigan state line (concurrently with US-2) on the Brule River bridge northwest of Florence

Length (segment):

14.46 miles

Length (total):

116.70 miles

Map:

Route Map of US-141

Notes:

US-141 is a major, north-south highway in northeastern Wisconsin, primarily connecting Green Bay with Iron Mountain, Michigan. This highway is somewhat unique in that it leaves the state, entering Michigan, then re-enters Wisconsin a short time later before once again leaving for Michigan a second time. Thus, US-141 is a two-segment route in the state, as illustrated in the South and North segment designations above. Historically, US-141 was to only provide an alternate route to US-41 from Milwaukee to Green Bay, sticking close to the Lake Michigan shore while its "parent" route travelled inland via Fond du Lac, Oshkosh and Appleton, however within a few years after being designated, it was extended northerly from Green Bay into Michigan at Iron Mountain, then northwesterly back into Wisconsin and once again into Michigan and northerly to a new terminus at US-41 near Covington. Later in its history, the Milwaukee to Green Bay portion was replaced by I-43, leaving only the portion from Green Bay northerly. (See the History section below for more.)

For over three decades, the portion of US-141 from Green Bay northerly has slowly been upgraded to freeway and expressway standards. Starting with the portion of US-41/US-141 from Velp Ave northerly in the early-1970s to 2000 when the last segment of expressway just south of Abrams was converted to fully-controlled access freeway. Just a few years later, existing US-141 from Abrams northerly began to be upgraded to expressway standards, first to just north of STH-22 (2002), then northerly past Lena on a new bypass (2005) with a further extension to Coleman and Pound, again with a bypass, completed in 2007. No further expressway upgrades north of STH-64 are currently planned, however.

History:

US-141 debuted along with the rest of the US Highway system in late 1926 as an alternate route to US-41 between Milwaukee and Green Bay. It's "parent" route was to swing inland from Milwaukee through Fond du Lac, Oshkosh and Appleton before returining to its shoreline alignment at Green Bay. US-141 was conceived to connect Milwaukee with Port Washington, Sheboygan, Manitowoc and Green Bay sticking closer to Lake Michigan. It replaced STH-17 from downtown Milwaukee to Manitowoc and took over the route of STH-16 from Manitowoc to downtown Green Bay. (At this time, the highway running northerly from Abrams to Niagara was part of STH-57.)

In one of the earlier extensions to the US Highway system, US-141 was extended north of Green Bay in 1928 via US-41 to Abrams, then northerly still supplanting STH-57 through Coleman, Crivitz, Wausaukee and Pembine to the Michigan state line at Niagara. The highway looped through Iron Mountain, Michigan before re-entering the state concurrently with US-2 to run through Spread Eagle and Florence before exiting Wisconsin again into Michigan south of Crystal Falls. At this point, US-141 now looped east of its "parent" route from Milwaukee to Green Bay, dualled with it from there to Abrams and then looped west from US-41 from Abrams to Covington, Michigan.

From 1928 to 1947, other than minor realignments to straighten the route of highay, cutting-off 90-degree turns, completely paving the route and the like, no truly major changes came to the US-141 corridor in the state. In 1947, the route of US-141 as it entered Milwaukee from the north shifted off the present-day STH-32 corridor along the lakeshore to following Port Washington Rd from Brown Deer Rd southerly to STH-190/Capitol Dr, then running westerly via Capitol to 20th St, then southerly with STH-57 via 20th to a terminus at US-16/US-18/W Highland Ave. However, by 1950, US-141 had been "pulled back" so that its terminus was at STH-190/Capitol Dr in Milwaukee, although a reason for this move is not clear.

In 1956, the original US-141 "Manitowoc bypass" opened along present-day CTH-R/Rapids Rd from US-151 southwest of downtown to US-10 nothwest of downtown. A year later in 1957, the Port Washington bypass is completed, running along modern-day CTH-LL from STH-32 southwest of the city, then northerly and easterly to Knellsville at jct STH-32 & STH-84 (present-day CTH-H). Then two years later in 1959, the first phase of an overall western bypass of Sheboygan is opened to traffic along Dairyland Dr from CTH-FF near Haven southerly to STH-42 northwest of Sheboygan, with the former route being turned back to local control as CTH-LS. (Interestingly, on the 1960 official state highway map, this new segment of US-151 from CTH-A southerly to STH-42 is shown as being gravel-surfaced! Maps show it as hard-surfaced by the following year.) The first freeway segments along US-141 between Milwaukee and Green Bay appear in 1963—see the freeway conversion schedule below for details.

The conversion of the US-141 corridor between Milwaukee and Abrams from two-lane highway to full freeway standards began in the early-1960s and proceeded along the following schedule:

• 1963: The first segment of Milwaukee's North-South Freeway, signed as US-141, was opened to traffic from STH-190/Capitol Dr northerly to CTH-PP/Good Hope Rd.
• 1964: Another 1.4 miles of the US-141/North-South Frwy are completed in Milwaukee and opened to traffic from STH-190/Capitol Dr southerly to the Locust St interchange. (US-141 makes it south of Capitol Dr for the first time since 1950.)
• 1965: The US-141/North-South Frwy in Milwaukee was extended by another 7/10th mile from Locust St to North Ave and from there, US-141 was routed southerly via Halyard St and 6th St to a terminus at US-18/State St. In addition, the divided highway portion of US-141 from CTH-PP/Good Hope Rd northerly to STH-100/Brown Deer Rd was converted to full freeway as a northerly extension of the North-South Frwy.
• 1967: The US-141/STH-32 freeway was completed from STH-100/Brown Deer Rd northerly to present-day Exit 93 (then jct STH-57 SOUTH & STH-32 NORTH) with the former route along Port Washington Rd turned back to county control at CTH-W.
• 1969: The final link in Milwaukee's North-South Frwy was completed in early 1969, including the massive Marquette Interchange downtown. US-141 now extended southerly to a terminus at the Marquette Interchange at jct I-94 & I-794.
• 1971: A northerly extension of the US-41/US-141 Green Bay freeway bypass extended the highway northerly from US-141/Velp Ave to one mile north of CTH-B at Suamico where the new highway merged back with the existing alignment. The former route of US-41/US-141 was turned back to local control as CTH-HS.
• 1972: An extension of the US-141 freeway, signed as part of STH-57, is completed from present-day Exit 93 at Grafton to STH-33 at Saukville. (US-141 would remain on its existing route with STH-32 toward Port Washington, however.) Also, the portion of US-41/US-141 from the northern end of the freeway near Suamico north of Green Bay to the US-41/US-141 "split" at Abrams was converted to four-lane, divided highway.
• 1973: The "twinned" portions of the Sheboygan and Oostburg/Cedar Grove bypasses (see 1970, 1971 and 1972 notes below) was shown on 1974 maps as being fully converted to freeway standards from STH-32 at Cedar Grove northerly to STH-23 at Sheboygan and it is assumed this conversion was completed in 1973.
• 1975: The US-141 freeway is completed and opened to traffic from STH-33 at Saukville northeasterly past Port Washington to Cedar Grove and with that, I-43 debuts along the US-141 freeway from I-94 in downtown Milwaukee northerly along the completed freeway to STH-23 at Sheboygan.
• 1977: US-141 route marker symbols begin disappearing from official WisDOT maps from Sheboygan southerly. Sources indicate that US-141 route markers similarly began disappearing from the route of I-43 between Milwaukee and Grafton at this time as well as US-141 was officially truncated to Grafton for some reason this year.
• 1978: A nine-mile stretch of the I-43/US-141 freeway opened to traffic from US-10 northwest of Manitowoc to STH-147 at Maribel and the portion of the two-lane Sheboygan bypass from STH-23 northerly to STH-42 was converted to full freeway standards. (BUS US-151 at Sheboygan was also changed to, oddly enough, BUS STH-42.)
• 1979: Sources claim US-141 was officially truncated to Port Washington this year, although it is unclear if any route markers remained along the I-43 freeway south of Sheboygan.
• 1980-81: The final segments of the I-43 freeway from STH-42 northwest of Sheboygan to Green Bay were opened during this timeframe, which also signaled the official end of US-141 south of Exit 178 southeast of Green Bay. US-141 was officially truncated at Sheboygan in 1980 and to its new, present terminus in 1981.
• c.1991-92: An interchange at the US-41/US-141 "split" at Abrams was completed.
• 1999: Interchanges were completed along US-41/US-141 north of Green Bay at CTH-S (Sobieski) and at Abrams as part of the ongoing conversion of the portion of US-41/US-141 from Suamico to Abrams to full freeway standards.
• 2000: The remainder of the conversion of US-41/US-141 from Suamico northerly to Abrams was completed with a new interchange at Brown Rd north of Green Bay as well as an overpass as Northfield Rd and the addition of frontage roads which allowed for the removal of all private driveway access. US-41/US-141 from Suamico northerly to Abrams was now a fully-controlled access freeway facility.

While the freewayization of the US-141 corridor between Milwaukee and Green Bay began in the early-1960s, yet another part of the Sheboygan bypass was completed in 1966 as a two-lane highway from STH-42 northwest of the city southerly to STH-23/Kohler Memorial Dr, where US-141 turned easterly with STH-23 back to its former route in downtown Sheboygan. A year later in 1967, the Sheboygan bypass was extended southerly to STH-28 (present-day CTH-PP/Lower Falls Rd), although sources indicate the signed route of US-141 remained easterly via STH-23 into downtown Sheboygan until some time in 1968. In 1969, the remainder of the US-141 Sheboygan bypass was completed as a two-lane highway from STH-28 (now CTH-PP) southerly back to its former route at present-day Exit 120. The former route of US-141 through Sheboygan was then designated as BUS US-141.

In 1970, a new two-lane bypass was constructed from just north of Oostburg southerly east of the existing alignment of US-141 to Cedar Grove where it merged back into the existing route east of the city. A year later, this new bypass would be "twinned" and an interchange at Oostburg would be completed. The "twinning" of the Sheboygan bypass into a four-lane expressway would be completed in 1972 from Oostburg northerly to STH-23 west of downtown Sheboygan.

In more modern times, the latest ongoing project in the US-141 corridor is the conversion of the existing two-lane highway to a four-lane divided expressway, partly on existing alignment, partly on new alignment (mostly in bypasses of Stiles Junction, Lena and Coleman/Pound). The first phase, from Abrams to LeMere Rd north of Stiles Junction was completed in 2002 and features a new interchange at STH-22 east of the former intersection. The second phase, from LeMere Rd south of Lena northerly to Benser Ln on the Oconto/Marinette Co line was completed and opened to traffic in the fall of 2005 and features an easterly bypass of Lena and an interchange at CTH-A. (Former US-141 through Lena was transferred to local control on November 18, 2005.) The third phase from Benser Ln south of Coleman to the So Branch Beaver Cr north of Pound features a westerly bypass of Coleman and Pound and an interchange at CTH-B, but otherwise consist of a conversion of the existing two-lane facility into a four-lane expressway. Initially, a grade-separated diamond interchange was proposed for the US-141 & STH-64 juntion north of Pound, but those plans were scaled back to a simple at-grade intersection, but with right-of-way set aside for a future interchange when funding becomes available. This last phase was completed in 2007. (See the WisDOT Project Website for complete information.)

Freeway:

From southern jct with US-41 at Exit 170 (Velp Ave) in Howard to the US-41 & US-141 "split" at Abrams. (~16 miles)

Expressway:

From the US-41 & US-141 "split" at Abrams to the South Branch Beaver Cr north of Pound.

NHS:

The following two segments of US-141 are on the National Highway System:

1. From southern jct with US-41 at Exit 170 (Velp Ave) in Howard to the northern entrance of the North Segment at Michigan state line northwest of Florence.
2. Intermodal Connector: Along Broadway St in Green Bay for the four blocks from Mather St to Dousman St. [Note: Intermodal Connectors provide access between major intermodal facilities and the other four subsystems making up the National Highway System. A listing of all official NHS Intermodal Connectors.]

Circle Tour:

Lake Michigan Circle Tour: From jct US-41/US-141 & I-43 in Howard (at Exit 171) to the US-41 & US-141 "split" at Abrams.

Continue on:

US-141 north into Michigan - via the Michigan Highways website.

Photographs:

Weblinks:

• US 141 expansion - WIS 22 to WIS 64 - from WisDOT: "WisDOT is correcting ... deficiencies by reconstructing US 141 as a four-lane divided expressway with limited access. The 16.8-mile project begins at LeMere Road, just north of WIS 22, and ends at Sixth Road, just north of WIS 64."

• End of US highway 141 - from Dale Sanderson's wonderful Maps of US highways and photos of their endpoints website.

• Economic Development History of Interstate: 43 Corridor - from FHWA.

Western Terminus:

STH-11 in Burlington (cnr of State St & Main St)

Eastern Terminus:

I-94/US-41 at Exit 340 (at jct CTH-S) northwest of Kenosha

Length:

17.69 miles

Map:

Route Map of STH-142

Notes:

STH-142 is a secondary highway connecting Burlington in southwest Racine Co with the Kenosha area, passing through no other communities en route, but serving as an access to the Richard I Bong State Recreation Area (site of the never-completed Richard I Bong Air Force Base).

It is unclear what effect, if any, the proposed Burlington Bypass will have on the route of STH-142. If all other state trunk highway routes at Burlington are pulled from their current paths through the city to run along the bypass route when completed, STH-142 may be truncated to the bypass.

Notes3

History:

The original routing of STH-142 existed far from southeast Wisconsin in Monroe Co. Commissioned in c.1923, this routing of STH-142 began at STH-71 east of Wilton and proceed northerly via present-day STH-131, ending at STH-29 (later US-16) south of Tomah, at the present day jct of CTH-A. (At the time, STH-29, US-16's predecessor, utilized CTH-A between Lisbon and Sparta, while STH-12, US-12's predecessor, ran with STH-29 from Lisbon to just east of the STH-29 & STH-142 jct, then northerly into Tomah.) In 1925, STH-29 was redirected south of Tomah to continue northerly with STH-12 into Tomah before turning westerly along the present-day route of STH-16 toward Sparta, causing STH-142 to be extended by approximately one mile from its northern terminus along what had been STH-29 to end at the modern-day intersection of CTH-A & Irondale Ave. Then in 1932, US-12/US-16 (formerly STH-12/STH-29) was rerouted to enter Tomah from the east, and STH-142 was extended northerly along the former US-12/US-16 (modern-day Irondale Ave and STH-131) to end in Tomah. In 1948, the entire route of SR-142 was supplanted by an extended STH-131 from the south.

The second iteration of STH-142 came along five years later in 1953 when the STH-145 designation in Waupaca Co was transferred to its current routing at Milwaukee. This routing of STH-142 began at US-10/STH-49 in downtown Weyauwega and followed the former route of STH-145 northerly to its terminus at STH-22. The length of STH-142 was slightly extended to the south in 1955 when the US-10/STH-49 "cut-off" bypass around Weyauwega was completed, taking in the former route of US-10/STH-49 from downtown southerly to the bypass. In 1956, STH-142 was extended northerly with STH-22 through Manawa to Symco, continuing northerly along what had been CTH-F and CTH-G to a new northern terminus at US-45 in Marion. In 1960, all of STH-142 was supplanted by an extension of STH-110 and the STH-142 designation was removed from the state trunk highway system for a second time.

The STH-142 designation would remain absent for 14 years until WisDOT needed to make way for the new I-43 designation. The third, and current, iteration of STH-142 debuted in 1974 when STH-43 in Racine and Kenosha Counties was changed to STH-142. At that time, no highway designation could be duplicated within the state, regardless of Interstate, US, or State highway status and with I-43 coming to the Milwaukee-Green Bay route, a new designation was needed for STH-43.

The length of STH-142 was shortened by 6.8 miles in 1992 when the portion east of I-94/US-41 was removed from the state highway system and redesignated as CTH-S. This change was likely due to the fact two state highways (the other being STH-158) ran parallel from I-94/US-41 to STH-32, separated by only one mile. WisDOT chose to retain STH-158 over STH-142.

Freeway/Expwy:

None.

Photographs:

Weblinks:

• Overview of CLRS Evaluations on STH 142 in Kenosha County, Wisconsin - by Tim J. Gates, P.E. and David A. Noyce, Ph.D., P.E., TOPS Laboratory. Related: Summary of User Surveys for Centerline Rumble Strips on STH-142 Kenosha County, Wisconsin.

• Burlington Bypass Project website - from WisDOT.

Fmr West Terminus:

US-45 at Exit 64, five miles south of downtown West Bend

Fmr East Terminus:

Washington/Ozaukee Co line (connection w/CTH-NN) southeast of West Bend

Former Length:

7.5 miles

Map:

Route Map of Former STH-143

Notes:

The US-45-to-Ozaukee Co segment of the former STH-143 was the last of two segments of this state trunk highway to be turned back to local control. An article from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel stated the Ozaukee Co portion of the former STH-143 was transferred from state to local control in 1992. However, this change did not show up on the official state highway map published by WisDOT until 1997, reflecting that the physical change (removal of highway markers, etc.) did not occur until 1995 or 1996. The former STH-143 in Ozaukee Co was designated CTH-NN. On the Washington Co side, the highway held on until 1997, ending at the county line for a couple years until it was finally transferred to local control. In Washington Co, this former state highway is now also designated CTH-NN from the Ozaukee Co line to CTH-P (Old US-45), then as CTH-P south to CTH-PV/Pleasant Valley Rd, then as CTH-PV west to US-45. Unfortunately, precise dates are not clear for these transfers and can only be inferred from various sources. —Thanks also to Daven Howard for information and confirmation!

History:

STH-143 was commissioned in c.1923 along two miles of Washington Ave in the Cedarburg Area in Ozaukee Co. It began at STH-57/Columbia Rd in downtown Cedarburg and continued northwesterly via Washington Ave to a terminus at STH-60 in Five Corners. As such, STH-143 was only a minor connecting route between STH-57 and STH-60. The length of the highway was quintupled in 1947 when the ten miles of CTH-N from Five Corners in Ozaukee Co to US-45 between West Bend and Jackson were assumed into the state trunk highway system.

In the fall of 1986, STH-143 was again extended on its western end with the completion of the US-45 "West Bend bypass." STH-143 was extended southerly one mile via the former route of US-45 (now CTH-P), then westerly for 1/2 mile via Pleasant Valley Rd to terminate at the relocated US-45. Then in the mid-1990s, WisDOT began intiating the turnback of the entire route of STH-143, which occurred in two segments. (See Notes above for more details.)

Freeway/Expwy:

None.

Photographs:

Weblinks:

• None.

Southern Terminus:

STH-175 at cnr Kettle Moraine Dr & Wasthington St in Slinger

Northern Terminus:

STH-57 one mile east of Random Lake

Length:

28.63 miles

Map:

Route Map of STH-144

Notes:

STH-144 is one of those trademark Wisconsin highways: one which meanders and could logically be considered three different highways. From Slinger to STH-33 west of West Bend, STH-144 runs north-south, and utilizes STH-33 to connect with the second segment, which runs northeast-southwesterly from West Bend to STH-28. From there STH-144 runs concurrently with STH-28 to the third segment, running east-west in Sheboygan Co, from west of Silver Creek to east of Random Lake.

The Village of Slinger Comprehensive Plan reccommends the segment of STH-144 from Slinger to STH-33 west of West Bend be earmarked for jurisdictional transfer to the local authorities as a local roadway instead of a lettered county trunk highway! While the portion of STH-144 between STH-60 and STH-175 in Slinger was transferred to local control in 2001, it is unclear whether the larger reccommendation will be implemented by WisDOT.

History:

When itinially commissioned in c.1923, STH-144 ran along its present routing from West Bend to Random Lake, then continued eastearly along present-day CTH-RR to STH-17 (later STH-42, now STH-32) at Cedar Grove. In 1939, STH-144 was extended westerly via STH-33 and southerly via what had been CTH-J to a terminus at STH-60 in Slinger. In c.1983-84, STH-144 was scaled back by six miles when all of the route east of STH-57 at Random Lake were turned back to county control and designated CTH-RR.

STH-144 from STH-60 to STH-175/Washington St in Slinger was removed from the Official State Trunk Highway System Maps in 2001, apparently signifying its transfer to local control that year.

Freeway/Expwy:

None.

NHS:

Concurrently with STH-33 in the West Bend area.

Photographs:

Weblinks:

• None.

Southern Terminus:

US-18 (ebd) at cnr 6th St & Wells St in downtown Milwaukee

Northern Terminus:

US-41 at Exit 60 northwest of Germantown

Length:

23.87 miles

Map:

Route Map of STH-145

Notes:

Greater Milwaukee's STH-145 is a rather complex highway route with a complex history, to say the least. n terms of the type of highway comprising STH-145, it can easily be broken into five distinct functional segments. Tracing the route backward (in terms of the parlance of this website), it begins at US-41 in southeast Washington Co near the community of Richfield northwest of Germantown and runs southeasterly through Germantown as a generally rural/exurban/suburban secondary highway before crossing into extreme northeast Waukesha Co and the city of Menomonee Falls.

After running along the Waukesha/Milwaukee Co line for nearly 1-1/2 miles, STH-145 turns southeasterly again and quickly becomes the fully limited-access urban Fond du Lac Frwy paralleling Fond du Lac Ave for 4.8 miles to just prior to its intersection with CTH-EE/Hampton Ave in Milwaukee. From that point southeasterly, STH-145 runs along Fond du Lac Ave toward downtown Milwaukee, first as a four-lane urban boulevard from Hampton Ave to Burleigh St, then as a traditional undivided urban arterial street before briefly returning to a divided boulevard again at STH-57/20th St.

Until January 2006, STH-145 transitioned into a freeway facility at Walnut St—the lingering end of what was to have been the beginning of the cancelled Park Freeway West —as it continued through its junction with I-43/North-South Frwy on the northwest corner of downtown. The freeway portion, as the Park Freeway East, formerly continued across the Milwaukee River to Jefferson Ave, although the STH-145 designation exited the freeway just prior to Jefferson and ran along the one-way pair of Broadway St (sbd) and Milwaukee St (nbd) to its former terminus. Today, however, since the demolition of the former Park Frwy East, the second freeway portion of STH-145 was removed and the highway continues through the I-43/North-South Frwy junction as a city street to 6th St where the route now turns southerly for five blocks along this traditional downtown street to its terminus at US-18/Wells St next to the Midwest Airlines (formerly Midwest Express) Center.

As noted above, STH-145 formerly ran along what was called the Park Frwy East in downtown Milwaukee. The Park East was one of Milwaukee's several infamous freeway stubs consisting of truncated freeway segments resulting from highway cancellations during the 1960s and early-1970s due to the "Freeway Revolt" of that era. See the Park Freeway article in the Milwaukee Freeways portion of this site for complete information.

In the fall of 2005, WisDOT approached the Washington Co Highway Dept regarding transferring jurisdiction of the northernmost 7/10th mile of STH-145 to the county. The segment runs from the highway's northern terminus at US-41 easterly through the US-45 interchange to the intersection of CTH-P. What is odd about this proposed transfer is that if approved, STH-145 would end at the beginning of a county trunk highway, just 2/10th mile east of the US-45 interchange! Unless this transfer is a precursor of additional transfers to come, it seems to be a rather odd segment to be turned over to the county!

History:

Historically, STH-145 began as a short, six-mile highway running via modern-day STH-110 and debuting in 1923 beginning at STH-18 (now US-10) at Weyauwega in Waupaca Co, ending at STH-22 north of Weyauwega. In 1953, the year STH-55 was scaled back from Milwaukee to terminate at Fond du Lac and US-41 & US-45 were routed onto their present alignments in southern Washington Co, STH-145 was removed from its Waupaca Co routing and applied to all of the former STH-55 from the eastern jct of STH-57 & US-18 in Milwaukee to US-45 (relocated) in Washington Co, immediately north of the "US-41/US-45 split." Due to the relocation of US-41 and US-45 at this time, STH-145 also ran concurrently with those two highways for less than one mile in extreme northwest Milwaukee Co.

In 1966, the first 4.2 miles of the STH-145/Fond du Lac Freeway were opened to traffic from N 68th St (just northwest of Hampton Ave) to the US-41/US-45 expressway at the North Interchange. In 1969, the first segment of the Park Frwy (East) was opened to traffic from US-141/North-South Frwy (present-day I-43) to N 4th St in downtown Milwaukee. At that time, the Park East likely did not have a route designation. Two years later in 1971, the Park Frwy (East) was completed to its terminus at Jefferson St and opened to traffic as far east as Broadway-Milwaukee Sts.

In 1975, STH-145 was extended westerly from its northern terminus at US-45 to a new interchange with US-41 north of Richfield. In c.1984, the STH-145 designation was removed from its concurrent routing with STH-57 along N 20th St and onto Fond du Lac Ave southeasterly from 20th St to I-43/North-South Frwy, then easterly along the Park Frwy (East) to Broadway & Milwaukee Sts, then southerly via the one-way pair of Broadway and Milwaukee to E Wells St, where the highway now terminated.

Demolition of the Park Frwy (East) westbound lanes began in June 2002 with the eastbound lanes being closed and razed in 2003 with major construction on the replacement city streets lasting through 2004. With the removal of the Park Frwy (East), the route of STH-145 was removed from Broadway & Milwaukee Sts and now turns southerly via 6th St to a new terminus at US-18/Wells St next to the Midwest Airlines Center.

Freeway:

CTH-EE/W Hampton Ave to jct US-41/US-45/STH-100 at the North Interchange in northwest Milwaukee. (4.8 miles)

Expressway:

None.

NHS:

From southern terminus at US-18 (ebd)/Wells St in downtown Milwaukee to jct US-41/US-45/STH-100 at the North Interchange in northwest Milwaukee.

Photographs:

Weblinks:

• Park Freeway - in-depth article from the Milwaukee Freeways section of this website.

• Fond du Lac Freeway - in-depth article from the Milwaukee Freeways section of this website.

• Exit numbers on WIS 145 - courtesy of WisDOT.

• Park East Redevelopment Project - from the City of Milwaukee's Department of City Development.

Southern Terminus:

STH-16 just northwest of Fall River in southeastern Columbia Co

Northern Terminus:

STH-33 two miles north of Cambria

Length:

13.22 miles

Map:

Route Map of STH-146

Notes:

STH-146 is a rather minor north-south highway existing completely within Columbia Co.

History:

STH-146 was introduced in 1923 along the route of present-day STH-29 from STH-16 (now US-141) at Bellevue easterly to STH-163 (now CTH-AB) east of Pilsen, northerly with STH-163 (CTH-AB) to Ellisville, then easterly along present-day CTH-F into Kewaunee. In 1926, the addition of US-141 to the Wisconsin highway system necessitated the redesignation of existing STH-141 in eastern Columbia Co. This was accomplished by transferring the STH-146 designation to Columbia Co, replacing STH-141. The former route of STH-146 east of Green Bay was tacked onto the route of STH-29. Since 1926, STH-146 has existed along its present corridor with only minor changes between then and now.

Freeway/Expwy:

None.

Photographs:

Weblinks:

• None.

Southern Terminus:

STH-42 in Two Rivers (cnr of 22nd St & Washington St)

Northern Terminus:

I-43 at Exit 164 at Maribel

Length:

15.09 miles

Map:

Route Map of STH-147

Notes:

STH-147 is an angling route providing access to and from Two Rivers connecting with I-43 leading from Green Bay.

History:

When commissioned in 1923, STH-147 ran along its present alignment from newly-designated STH-163 at Mishicot to northwest of Larrabee, where it branched northerly along present-day Old CC Rd and Zander Rd to end at US-141 in Cooperstown. South of Mishicot, present STH-147 was part of STH-163. In 1935, the STH-163 designation was scaled back to end in Mishicot and STH-147 was routed southeasterly into Two Rivers. In 1939, the northern portion of STH-147 was transferred to its present alignment, running due westerly from Old CC Rd to end at US-141 near Maribel. In 1982, STH-147 was extended west by 1/4-mile along what had been temporarily designated US-141 (1978-82) while the I-43 freeway temporarily ended at that point. With US-141 removed, STH-147 was extended westerly to meet the new freeway.

Freeway/Expwy:

None.

Photographs:

Weblinks:

• None.

Fmr West Terminus:

Jct US-151 & BUS US-151 at Peebles, northeast of Fond du Lac

Fmr East Terminus:

STH-32/STH-57 in Kiel at cnr of Fremont St & Seventh St

Former Length:

24.17 miles

Map:

Route Map of Former STH-149

Notes:

All of STH-149 in its entirety was turned back to county control as of Jan 1, 2006. However, it may be somewhat difficult to follow the old route in that it was replaced by three different county trunk highway designations! From its former western terminus near Fond du Lac, the former STH-149 became CTH-WH through Calvary to CTH-G, then it ran northerly on what is now part of CTH-G through Maytown to CTH-HH, then STH-149 turned easterly along what was redesignated as CTH-HH from there into Kiel, the highway's former eastern terminus.

Work began Apr 27, 2004 to reconstruct 5.6 miles of the former STH-149 from US-151 to CTH-W in Fond du Lac Co, which included widening shoulders, flattening curves, reconstructing side road intersections (7 locations) and improving drainage. A bike path was constructed alongside the highway from US-151 to Fairfield Dr. Oddly enough, a WisDOT press release in early 2004 stated "WIS 149 is a vital connecting highway to the city of Fond du Lac, residential developments and farming operations." However, this reconstruction project was being performed in preparation for the transfer of this "vital" highway to county control...

History:

STH-149 debuted in 1923 immediately east of its longtime alignment, connecting Kiel and Cleveland. The highway began at STH-57 in Kiel and ran northeasterly from downtown via Fremont St and River Rd, then easterly through Rockville on Rockville Rd before turning northerly on Lax Chapel Rd to modern-day CTH-XX. From there STH-149 took today's CTH-XX easterly to STH-42, jogging southerly along STH-42 to Meeme before turning easterly again via present-day CTH-XX to end at STH-17 (later US-141, now Dairyland Dr) at Cleveland. In 1938, a realignment moved STH-149 onto modern-day CTH-XX from Lax Chapel Rd westerly to STH-32 (present-day STH-67) at Kiel, then southerly along STH-32 to its terminus at STH-57.

In 1947, the length of STH-149 was nearly tripled! On the east, STH-149 was extended southerly via US-141 for 1/2-mile, then easterly along present-day CTH-XX/Washington St through Cleveland to terminate at the Lake Michigan shore. The western extension of 1947, though, was much more substantial, with 24 miles added. From Kiel, the highway was extended westerly via the former CTH-I and CTH-HH to CTH-G, then southerly supplanting CTH-G through Marytown, before turning southwesterly to replace CTH-U through Calvary to US-151/STH-55 at Peebles. In c.1978-79, the short spur portion of STH-149 from US-141 easterly through Cleveland to Lake Michigan was removed from the state trunklinr system and designated CTH-XX. With the completion of I-43 at the eastern end of STH-149 in late 1980, the route was shortened by approximately one mile to end at the new freeway. In 1983-84, STH-149 was further shortened when the rest of the original 1920s routing east of Kiel was turned back to local control as CTH-XX. Ironically, all that remained of STH-149 was the "new" portion designated in 1947!

Then, as of Jan 1, 2006, all of STH-149 in existence was officially turned back to the counties it traversed: Fond du Lac, Calumet and Manitowoc, as noted above.

Freeway/Expwy:

None.

Photographs:

• STH-149 Eastern Terminus Photos - taken on Nov 4, 2005, showing some of the last STH-149 route markers remaining in the Fond du Lac area.

Weblinks:

• WIS 149 in Calumet and Fond du Lac counties being renamed - press release from WisDOT.

STH-140 | US-141 | STH-142 | Former STH-143 | STH-144 | STH-145 | STH-146 | STH-147 | Former STH-149 | Up to Top