July 4 holiday travelers reminded to buckle up, be patient, alert and safe

Most highway construction will come to a temporary stop during the July 4 holiday, but motorists will need to be alert for work zones, reduced speed limits and potential slow-downs.

Officials with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation remind July 4 holiday travelers to buckle up, stay alert and expect slower traffic in work zones and along major travel corridors. Peak travel times are expected between noon and 8 p.m. on July 3 and July 7. Construction in most highway work zones will stop by noon on July 3 and will not resume until 6 a.m. July 8.

The Wisconsin State Patrol and local law enforcement agencies will be keeping an eye on traffic and assisting stranded motorists. Important safety tips for travelers, according to the WisDOT:

• Slow down. Excessive speed is a major factor in traffic crashes. Last year in Wisconsin, there were nearly 20,000 speed-related crashes resulting in 7,957 injuries and 173 fatalities.

• Eliminate distractions and focus on the road ahead. Texting while driving is prohibited and dangerous. Drivers in Wisconsin are also prohibited from using a handheld mobile device in work zones (except in an emergency).

• Move over or slow down when approaching emergency responders such as police and fire vehicles, ambulances, tow trucks and highway maintenance vehicles that are stopped along a highway with their warning lights flashing.

• Properly secure trailers and cargo. If your vehicle breaks down, try to get safely off the highway. Remain buckled up inside your vehicle and wait for help to arrive.

Significant road construction projects that may impact holiday travel:

• I-41/94 in Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha counties has an 18.5-mile long construction work zone. There are three lanes available in both directions but some of the areas have narrow lanes and lane shifts. Southbound has limited access to and from the interstate with Highway 20 being the only full-service interchange available between Ryan Road and Highway 142. The entire length of the project has a reduced speed limit of 60 mph.

• Dane and Rock counties: Motorists on Interstate-39/90 and I-43 near Beloit should be alert for lane shifts, crossovers and reduced speeds.

• Dane County: Verona Road (Highway 18/151) – motorists should be alert for lane shifts, turn restrictions and reduced speeds.

• La Crosse County: I-90 is reduced to single lane in each direction between La Crosse and West Salem.

• Monroe County: I-90 is reduced to two lanes of bi-directional traffic from Sparta to Tomah.

• Iowa County:  Highway 151 westbound lane closure near Barneveld

• Winnebago, Calumet and Outagamie counties: Eastbound and westbound Highway 10 have reduced lanes and lane shifts with a 55 mph speed limit in the Highway 441 work zone.

• Fond du Lac County: Highway 45 in the village of Eden is closed to through traffic. Detour uses Highway 151, I-41 and Highway 28.

• Manitowoc County/City of Manitowoc: Highway 10 (Waldo Boulevard) is closed from Eighth Street to Maritime Drive in the city of Manitowoc. Highway 42 is closed at Waldo Boulevard in the city of Manitowoc.
  • Eastbound Highway 10 will be detoured at the junction of I-43 and Highway 151. Detour will follow Highway 151 east to the junction of Highway 151 and Highway 10.
  • Westbound Highway 10 will be detoured at junction of Highway 151 and Highway 10. Detour will follow Highway 151 west to I-43, north on I-43 to westbound Highway 10.
  • Eastbound Highway 42 will be detoured at the junction of I-43 and Highway 42. Detour will follow I-43 north to Highway 310, east on Highway 310 to eastbound Highway 42.
  • Westbound Highway 42 will be detoured at the junction of Highway 310 and Highway 42. Detour will follow Highway 310 west to I-43, south on I-43 to westbound Highway 42.

• Marquette County: Highway 23 in the city of Montello is closed to through traffic as the roadway is reconstructed. A detour is posted.

• Marathon County: Marathon County WW bridge in the village of Maine will be reduced to one 10 ½-foot-wide lane with the use of temporary signals.

• Oneida County: Motorists on Highway 47 will have a short local detour around the Highway 8/Highway 47 intersection construction in Rhinelander. Highway 8 is open to through traffic.

• Portage County: Business Highway 51 (Post Road) in the village of Plover and Whiting is reduced to one lane in each direction with a 12-foot width restriction. Highway HH is closed at Business Highway 51 in the village of Whiting with a local detour around the road closure.

• Waupaca County: Highway 156 at the Wolf River bridge (five miles east of Clintonville) is reduced to one lane with the use of temporary signals.

• Wood County: Highway 97 (Central Avenue) in the city of Marshfield is reduced to one lane in each direction with a 12-foot width restriction.

• Sawyer County: Highway 63 from Hayward to Seeley is open to traffic except for large trucks, which are detoured using Highway 77, Highway 27 and Highway 2.

• Dunn County: Eastbound motorists through the I-94 construction zone should be alert for lane shifts and narrow shoulders between Highway 128 and 250^th Street.

• Dunn County: The Hay River Bridge (Highway 25) will be closed between Highway 170 and Highway N. Detour uses Highway 170, Highway S and Highway N.

• Buffalo County: Highway 35 bridges over the Mississippi River tributaries will have traffic signals controlling a single lane closure.

For up-to-the-minute information on work zones and incidents that may affect highway travel, motorists can access the state’s 511 travel information system by downloading the free 511 Wisconsin mobile app or following @511WI on Twitter. Users can also access the system by visiting 511wi.gov on the web.

Wisconsin Division of Motor Vehicle customer service centers will be closed on July 4, but residents can conduct DMV business online 24/7 at wisconsindmv.gov.