The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is rebuilding WIS 80 around New Lisbon as two separate projects, three years apart. The rural one starts at the Lemonweir River bridge and runs north toward Necedah. Construction is anticipated for 2028, and it includes a full closure. The in-town project covers WIS 80 from US 12 down to the Lemonweir River, along with a stretch of US 12 through downtown. That one is anticipated for 2031. The river is where one job ends and the next one picks up.
Put those two next to the other WisDOT projects near town and you get an order. The roads leading out of New Lisbon get worked on first. Downtown comes after. The interstate overpasses come last. Here is the calendar as WisDOT currently lists it. Every date below is the department's "anticipated" year, and these schedules can move.
| Anticipated year | Project | What it means behind the wheel |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 | WIS 21, Juneau County line to WIS 13 in Adams County | Road stays open, with daytime flagging and temporary signals at bridge and culvert work |
| 2028 | WIS 80, Lemonweir River bridge to WIS 58 in Necedah | Closed and detoured between the I-90 interchange and WIS 58; open between town and I-90 |
| 2031 | US 12 from Orange Road to Webster Street, plus WIS 80 from US 12 to the Lemonweir River | US 12 built in stages, single-lane closures on WIS 80, and the intersection stays open |
| 2032 | I-90/94 bridges at Cortland Avenue, County OO and County M | Nighttime interstate lane closures and local detours for the overpasses |
The rural half goes first, and it's the one that closes
The WIS 80 New Lisbon to Necedah project covers 7.97 miles, from the Lemonweir River bridge in New Lisbon to WIS 58 in Necedah. WisDOT lists three goals: extend the life of the pavement, improve safety, and make the ride smoother. The work includes resurfacing, upgraded curb ramps and a replacement for guardrail the department calls substandard. It also covers rehab work on two bridges, one over the Lemonweir River and one over the Little Yellow River.
The most specific item on that list is a single intersection. WisDOT plans to rework the WIS 80 access points at the New Lisbon Travel Mart and the Shell gas station because crash rates there are higher than average. If you buy fuel on your way out of town, that's the part of this project you'll notice day to day once it's done.
The closure is what will change people's drives. WisDOT's plan closes WIS 80 between the I-90 interchange and WIS 58, with a detour over I-90 and WIS 58. WIS 80 between New Lisbon and the I-90 interchange stays open. If you usually take 80 north toward Necedah and the Petenwell side, plan on the detour that construction season. The short run from downtown to the interstate keeps working as usual.
This project has been in the works for a while. WisDOT held public meetings on it on December 6, 2023 and December 18, 2024, and it's still in design. The project manager listed on the page is Nathaniel Schumaker, P.E., at (608) 789-5538.
Three years later, the same highway downtown
The second project starts where the first one stops. WisDOT's US 12 and WIS 80 project covers US 12 from Orange Road to Webster Street, and WIS 80 from US 12 to the Lemonweir River. This is a street project, so the scope looks different from the highway work up the road. The plan calls for:
- Removing and replacing the pavement
- Repairing or replacing sidewalks, curb and gutter where needed
- Upgrading curb ramps to Americans with Disabilities Act standards
- Upgrading traffic signals and electrical cabinets
- Repairing or replacing inlets and storm sewer
- Installing new lighting
WisDOT has already decided how traffic will move during the work. The project page puts it this way:
US 12 will be constructed under stages. WIS 80 will have single lane closures. US 12 and WIS 80 intersection will remain open under staging.
That means a different kind of summer than 2028. North of the river, one long stretch closes and traffic goes onto the interstate. Downtown, the plan keeps the main intersection open and moves the work along in pieces, so drivers deal with lane shifts rather than a long detour.
The page also has a short real estate section. WisDOT says it will need permanent right-of-way at the curb ramp locations, and it will decide during design whether any temporary limited easements are needed. If your property sits along US 12 or that stretch of WIS 80, the project contacts on that page can tell you more as design moves forward. The project manager listed is Nathan Lipinski.
The first public meeting was held September 29, 2026, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Community Room of the New Lisbon Municipal Building at 232 Pleasant Street. That puts this project at the same stage the Necedah project was at in late 2023. It's in design, the public has seen it once, and it's years from any construction.
The roads at either end of the sequence
The two WIS 80 projects sit in the middle of the calendar. On either side of them, other projects change the drives that start in New Lisbon.
At the early end is WIS 21. WisDOT lists the stretch from the Juneau County line to WIS 13 in Adams County as a 2027 project. That's the road toward Castle Rock Lake and Petenwell from the Necedah side. The plan keeps WIS 21 open, with daytime flagging and temporary signals where crews are working on bridges and culverts. If you drive between New Lisbon and the lakes, you'd see flaggers on 21 in 2027 and then the WIS 80 detour in 2028, two summers in a row of slower trips north.
At the late end are the interstate overpasses. A WisDOT bridge project covering the I-90/94 bridges at Cortland Avenue, County OO and County M, in Juneau and Monroe counties, is anticipated for 2032. It calls for nighttime lane closures on the interstate and local detours while the overpass bridges are worked on. Most of the interstate impact is planned for overnight hours. The bigger change will be on the county roads that cross over I-90/94.
The Madison leg still has no construction dates
For anyone who drives to Madison or the Dells, the biggest project in the region is the one with the least detail so far. The I-39/90/94 Corridor Project covers 67 miles in Dane, Columbia, Sauk and Juneau counties, from US 12/18 in Madison to US 12/WIS 16 in Wisconsin Dells. It includes 15 existing interchanges and two possible new ones. WisDOT says the corridor has finished its study phase and moved into final design ahead of construction. Until crews start, the project site says drivers may see shoulder closures or temporary lane closures.
That schedule question is supposed to get an answer soon. WisDOT has a virtual public meeting set for November 10, 2026, to share project updates, walk through the planned construction schedule and take questions. You can join through the link on the project's News and Meetings page, or call the audio-only line at 608-571-2209 with conference ID 748 441 337#.
A smaller meeting closer to home lands on the day this post comes out. On Thursday, October 29, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m., WisDOT is presenting proposed rehab work on US 12 from Lemonweir Street to S. Meadow Lane, and on County HH from US 12 to County N, in the village of Lyndon Station. It's at Lyndon Station Village Hall, 116 Lemonweir Street. A prerecorded presentation explains the projects, and staff will be there for questions.
Dates to put on the calendar
- October 29, 2026, 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. Public meeting on US 12 and County HH at Lyndon Station Village Hall.
- November 10, 2026. Virtual update on the I-39/90/94 corridor and its planned construction schedule.
- 2027. WIS 21 work from the Juneau County line to WIS 13, with the road open under flagging.
- 2028. WIS 80 closes between the I-90 interchange and WIS 58, with a detour over I-90 and WIS 58.
- 2031. Downtown US 12 and WIS 80 rebuilt in stages, with the US 12/WIS 80 intersection kept open.
- 2032. I-90/94 overpass work at Cortland Avenue, County OO and County M.
All of these years are WisDOT's anticipated dates, and design-phase projects can shift. For live conditions before any drive, WisDOT points people to 511wi.gov.
If a cabin up WIS 80 or a place near the WIS 21 corridor is on your mind, it helps to know which summers the drive will be slow. Pfaff Properties WI is happy to go over this road calendar with you and talk about how it lines up with your own plans. Let's Find Your Place in Wisconsin.
