U.S. 12 West - Eau Claire County

City of Eau Claire sign posted on U.S. 12 west at the U.S. 53 Business overpass. This style of sign is usually only found on freeways and expressways. On non-freeways typically the population is listed.

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The southbound off-ramp from U.S. 53 Business (Hastings Way) ties into U.S. 12 (Clairemont Avenue) at London Road. There is no access to Hastings Way south from U.S. 12 west, as the expressway merges with U.S. 53 just south of adjacent Wis 93. London Road parallels Wis 93 south initially as a commercial arterial before reducing to a two lane residential street.

09/04/16

Yellow reflective visors were installed to make the signals more noticeable at the intersection of U.S. 12 (Clairemont Avenue) and Fairfax Street. Fairfax Street serves the back side of an adjacent retail area to the north and a number of apartments and Fairfax Park to the south.
Clairemont Avenue was the first road in Eau Claire to use signal backplates with yellow retroreflective borders in Eau Claire. The first two installtions took place in December 2013.¹

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Keith Street heads north from the succeeding westbound signal on Clairemont Avenue by Memorial High School to Highland Avenue and south as a local road to Skeels Avenue.

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Continuing west of Rudolph Road on Clairemont Avenue. U.S. 12 is six lanes wide between U.S. 53 and Vine Street. Access is limited to spaced intersections.
This section was reconstructed in 2008. It was originally slated to be resurfaced with asphalt, but high oil prices made concrete pavement replacement more cost effective.

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Patton Street forms a short connector with Lexington Boulevard from U.S. 12 to State Street. State Street leads to UW Eau Claire lower campus and Downtown.
South of the Eau Claire city limits, State Street becomes County F to Lowes Creek Road.

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U.S. 12 west at the Patton Street traffic lights. The short mast arm supporting the vertical signal to the left is unique to the Eau Claire area at busy intersections with frequent left turns.

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Leaving the intersection with the north end of Wis 37, motorists pass by this westbound reassurance shield for U.S. 12 on Clairemont Avenue.

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U.S. 12 curves north at Craig Road along a section of roadway that was reconstructed in 1994. The stretch from Craig Road to Wis 312 was expanded to 4-6 lanes and rebuilt as part of the North Crossing Project.

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Crossing the Chippewa River, U.S. 12 maintains six overall lanes, with a pedestrian / bicycle path accompanying the westbound span.

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The intersection with Menomonie Street features a sweeping turn from westbound U.S. 12. Menomonie Street east eventually leads to the Water Street District of Eau Claire, which mainly consists of student housing and businesses geared towards college students.

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U.S. 12 (Clairemont Avenue) rises over 50 feet in elevation as it ascends from the Chippewa River valley. Street light poles switch from brown to unpainted steel along the drive.

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Advancing northwest, U.S. 12 approaches County E (Cameron Street). County E was an old alignment of U.S. 12 in the 1930s and part of the Yellowstone Trail.

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Cameron Street leads east as a locally maintained road to Downtown Eau Claire and the main hospital in Eau Claire.

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Pedestal signals operate at U.S. 12 (Clairemont Avenue) and County E (Cameron Street). CTH-E ventures west from the Eau Claire city limits across agricultural areas to Buena Vista Road on the Dunn County line.

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An overhead sign warns motorists that the right lane will end soon as U.S. 12 progresses north of CTH-E.

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The six lane section of U.S. 12 concludes just beyond the intersection with Vine Street.

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U.S. 12 (Clairemont Avenue) west at the lane drop north of Vine Street.

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Moholt Drive serves residential areas and a middle school east from U.S. 12 to 14th Street.

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Passing by WestRidge Center, U.S. 12 intersects the east end of County CC at Folsom Street. CTH-CC travels just 1.2 miles between Clairemont Avenue and CTH-TT (Kane Road).

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The final confirming shield posted before U.S. 12 reaches Wis 312. The old alignment of the route veered northwest from Truax Boulevard toward the current expressway west of Wis 312. No remnants of this section remain.

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A diamond interchange joins U.S. 12 (Clairemont Avenue) with STH-312 (North Crossing) at CTH-T north.

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U.S. 12 combines with Wis 332 (North Crossing) west toward Interstate 94.

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The North Crossing expressway takes Wis 312 east across the Chippewa River to U.S. 53 Business (Hastings Way) and the U.S. 53 freeway at CTH-Q.

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