Wisconsin Highway endings on Concurrencies

[peterj920]

Seems like Wisconsin really likes to end highways on concurrencies either having two state highways end at the same place or having one highway end while the others continue. Examples:

Wis 95 ends while concurrent with Wis 73
Wis 60 ends with US 18
Wis 91 ends with Wis 44
Wis 32 ends with US 45
Wis 70/Wis 101 end together
Wis 47/Wis 182 end together
Wis 133 ends with Wis 130
Wis 29 ends with Wis 35
Wis 40/Wis 87 end together

I might have left some out but those are what comes to mind. I'm guessing it's because WISDOT thinks it's easier to follow a route from another highway? Do you think the concurrencies are necessary?

[SEWIGuy]

If you go back in history there are a lot more. I think they are fine when one ends so close to another. The 47/182 ending is a great example. They come together so close together close to the endpoint at US-51, that you would likely need a "TO" sign anyway. May as well have them duplex.

My cardinal rule is that helping with navigation should be the primary criteria for posting signage, and in a number of the cases above, the duplex does IMO.

[US 12 fan]

Highway 19 is concurrent with Highway 78 but ends at US 14 in Mazomanie while 78 joins 14. I have always thought that concurrency was pointless since 19 has an intersection with 78 and could just end there instead of continuing.

[Big John]

WI 167 ends while concurrent with WI 57.  This one became so when WI 57 was rerouted in the 1990s.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

WIS 93 duplexes with US 53 from Galesville south to the WIS 35 interchange in Holmen where 93 quietly ends and 35 joins 53.

[The Ghostbuster]

I would not have swapped STH 35's and STH 93's routes between Centerville and present-day Exit 15 on US 53 in 1990. I would have left them on their former routes. It appears the routes were swapped so that STH 35 and the Great River Road designation could travel along the Mississippi River from Centerville through Trempealeau towards Holmen.

[Molandfreak]

I would not have swapped STH 35's and STH 93's routes between Centerville and present-day Exit 15 on US 53 in 1990. I would have left them on their former routes. It appears the routes were swapped so that STH 35 and the Great River Road designation could travel along the Mississippi River from Centerville through Trempealeau towards Holmen.

Which was a moot point anyway since they didn't realign STH 35 through Cassville further down the road.

[invincor]

WIS 29 ending with WIS 35 is a newer thing, as the two weren't run together until circa 1989.  29 was solo and ended at US 10, as it still does.  35 was added to it because they transferred 35 to the former county highways that linked Prescott to Hager City along the Mississippi River and the Great River Road. 

WIS 72 ends with US 63 in Ellsworth.  That's another one.  Way back when it went all the way to the Maple Street junction where WIS 65 is today (then it would've been WIS 35), but it was cut back to the US 10 intersection on the east side of town. 

[triplemultiplex]

It appears the routes were swapped so that STH 35 and the Great River Road designation could travel along the Mississippi River from Centerville through Trempealeau towards Holmen.

Maybe, but I believe the main rationale was to put WI 93 on the "main" route for La Crosse - Eau Claire traffic.  35 moving closer to the Mississippi was just a byproduct.

[dvferyance]

Doesn't WI-20 end with WI-32 in Racine? Now I know I heard something about them changing that. Also since the US 10 Marshfield spur was built WI-34 duplexes with WI-13 and ends with it at Wisconsin Rapids.

[The Ghostbuster]

They both do. STH 20 should have ended at the Racine St./Washington Ave. intersection: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.720152,-87.7940216,3a,75y,286.31h,81.96t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sd-d9dr9BM93xPKxMxdZ-DA!2e0!5s20230501T000000!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu. The STH 34 designation should have been retracted to present-day Exit 208 on the US 10 expressway: https://www.google.com/maps/@44.5987863,-89.7206721,725m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu.

[SSOWorld]

34 was a golden road to Rapids from Wausau.  They wanted to keep it.

Wisconsin - Share the road.

Seems like Wisconsin really likes to end highways on concurrencies either having two state highways end at the same place or having one highway end while the others continue. Examples:

Wis 95 ends while concurrent with Wis 73
Wis 60 ends with US 18
Wis 91 ends with Wis 44
Wis 32 ends with US 45
Wis 70/Wis 101 end together
Wis 47/Wis 182 end together
Wis 133 ends with Wis 130
Wis 29 ends with Wis 35
Wis 40/Wis 87 end together

I might have left some out but those are what comes to mind. I'm guessing it's because WISDOT thinks it's easier to follow a route from another highway? Do you think the concurrencies are necessary?

Did you forget I-41? I-39? I-894?