I-39/WIS 59 Interchange

I-39 is a heavily traveled mainline freeway that carries significant traffic from the Illinois border into tourist areas of Wisconsin. As the lead design engineer for a two-mile segment of I-39, to be widened from a four-lane to a six-lane freeway, raSmith carried a task of maintaining traffic during construction.

The project in Rock County, Wis., involved a complex, multi-phase staging plan for the freeway and WIS 59 interchange to maintain traffic flow during construction, which included traffic crossovers, off-peak lane closures, nighttime rolling closures, temporary widening and staggered ramp closures. Each of these elements and their effect on traffic were analyzed and documented in the Transportation Management Plan. A staged drainage scheme was also developed to handle stormwater during construction and included a complicated analysis for routing flows through the interchange, dry ponds and infiltration areas.

The $48 million I-39 project for the WIS 59 Interchange demonstrates raSmith’s experience and ability to prepare complex roadway and traffic control plans for mainline freeways, arterials, interchange ramps and roundabout intersections.