State Trunk Highway 57 - AARoads

WIS 57 is a major state trunk highway that spans nearly 192 miles from Milwaukee north to Sister Bay on the Door County Peninsula. Coming into existence when the state highway system was created in 1918, Wis 57 connects the Milwaukee metropolitan area with Green Bay, passing through Plymouth, Kiel and Chilton along the way. From Downtown Green Bay, Wis 57 turns northeast generally following the Door County peninsula of Wisconsin to Dyckesville, Sturgeon Bay and Baileys Harbor before ending at the resort community of Sister Bay.

The state trunk highway begins at Wis 59 (National Avenue) in Milwaukee and follows a combination of Layton Boulevard, N 27th Street, Highland Avenue (U.S. 18) and N 20th Street. On the north side of Milwaukee Wis 57 briefly turns east along Wis 90 (Capitol Drive) to Green Bay Avenue where it turns northerly toward Glendale. Wis 57 generally parallels I-43 through the city of Glendale and the village of Brown Deer before turning east to meet the freeway.

Wis 57 combines with I-43 for 12 miles before departing for Fredonia, taking a more inland route toward Green Bay. Wis 57 joins Wis 32 at Millhome with the two state trunk highways running concurrent through the cities of Kiel and Chilton. At De Pere, Wis 32 parts ways with Wis 57 across the Fox River. The two highways flank the river into Green Bay, with Wis 57 following Riverside Drive and South Monroe Avenue. Wis 54 joins Wis 57 at Mason Street with the pair turning east beyond U.S. 141 (Main Street) to meet I-43 at a high speed interchange.

Wis 54 leaves Wis 57 for Algoma while the latter generally follows a combination of a limited and controlled access expressway to Sturgeon Bay. After a brief overlap with Wis 42 through Sturgeon Bay, Wis 57 branches northward to Lake Michigan communities of Jacksonport and Baileys Harbor before returning to end at Wis 42 at Sister Bay.

State Trunk Highway 57 Guides

The portion of Wis 57 between Milwaukee and Green Bay was envisioned as an interstate corridor during the initial planning stages of the Interstate Highway System. With a possible I-57 designation, the route would have followed the interior routing of the state trunk highway between the two metropolitan areas. The idea was later nixed in favor of a U.S. 141 routing, which became Interstate 43.¹

Planned Improvements

The WIS 57 Improvement Project through the city of De Pere and Village of Allouez in Brown County reconstructa a 3.4 mile stretch between Randall Avenue and Grignon Street. Scheduled for 2021, the trunk highway will be rebuilt with new pavement, continous sidewalks, bike accommodations, and extra lanes added throughout Riverside Drive in the village of Allouez. Work will last two years, with crews focusing on south of Wis 172 during one season and north of it during another season.

Sources:

STH 57 listing, wisconsinhighways.org (website)

Connect with:
Interstate 43
U.S. 141
State Trunk Highway 29
State Trunk Highway 54
State Trunk Highway 172
Brown County EA

Page Updated 03-08-2016.