U.S. Highway 14 (US 14) in the U.S. state of Wisconsin runs northwest–southeast across the western to southwest portions of the state. It links La Crosse and the southwestern portion of the state with Madison and Janesville. US 14 is mostly two-lane surface road with the exception of a few multilane urban arterials and a freeway section around Madison that it mostly shares with US 12.
Route description
The La Crosse West Channel Bridge carrying US 14, US 61, MN 16, and WIS 16 across the Mississippi River between La Crescent, Minnesota, and La Crosse, Wisconsin. This is the river's West Channel.
US 14 enters Wisconsin from La Crescent along with US 61 and State Trunk Highway 16 (WIS 16; linking to Minnesota State Highway 16, or MN 16). The three highways immediately junction with US 53 in the downtown area and WIS 16 continues east while US 14 along with US 61 turn southeast and out of La Crosse, linking up with WIS 35 south along the way for three miles (4.8 km), after a short concurrency, US 14 and US 61 turn east while WIS 35 continues south. The U.S. Highways then exit La Crosse County for Vernon County.[4] In Vernon County, the routes passes through Coon Valley and Westby, joining with WIS 27 and turning south and passing through Viroqua. WIS 27 splits off to the southwest as US 14 and US 61 head southeast to Readstown where US 61 turns south and US 14 heads east into Richland County.[5]
US 14 continues southeast into Richland County, bypassing Sylvan and Boaz before turning east. After a seven-mile (11 km) east trek, the highway enters Richland Center and immediately turns south. WIS 80 crosses the highway in the southern part of downtown before US 14 turns southeast and junctions with WIS 58. US 14 passes through Sextonville and turns south to collect WIS 60 at Gotham. The two highways then head east-southeast to Lone Rock where they cross WIS 130 and exit to Sauk County.[6] The routes then split at Spring Green while crossing WIS 23, with US 14 heading south into Iowa County while WIS 60 continues east.[7] US 14 bypasses Helena and passes through Arena and into Dane County.[8] US 14 turns southeast at Mazomanie and junctions with WIS 19, then passes through Black Earth and Cross Plains and turns east to meet US 12 east at the West Beltline Highway in Middleton, a suburb of Madison.[9]
US 14 and US 12 follow the beltline south and around the west side of Madison and join US 18 east and US 151 north. All four U.S. Highways head east for three miles (4.8 km) through urban Madison where US 151 splits north to head into downtown Madison and US 12 and US 18 continue east, while US 14 turns south toward Oregon on a seven-mile (11 km) stretch of freeway. The highway bypasses Oregon to the east and becomes a two-lane road and enters Rock County east of Brooklyn.[9] US 14 turns southeastward at Evansville and passes through Leyden and then takes a northeastern bypass around Janesville, crossing US 51 and meeting up with I-39, I-90, and WIS 26 at a triangle formed by the three distinct routes northeast of the city. The bypass is crossed by two railroad lines at the surface. US 14 then turns south and meets WIS 11. Both highways turn east and pass through Emerald Grove on the way into Walworth County.[10] US 14 turns southeast to Darien while WIS 11 continues east to Delavan. US 14 junctions with I-43 just before passing through Darien. At Walworth, the highway turns due south and heads into Illinois.[11]
History
US 14 was signed later than the other U.S. Highways in Wisconsin, being opened in 1933. The route replaced the old versions of WIS 11, from La Crosse to Madison, WIS 13 from Madison to Evansville, WIS 92 into Janesville, and WIS 20 and WIS 89 from Janesville to Illinois. The older WIS 14 was in existence when US 14 was opened, that was redesignated as WIS 81 and WIS 15 (the latter being the present-day I-43).[1]
La Crosse saw an additional bridge in the Mississippi River Bridge on its west side which carried US 14 along with US 61 and WIS 16. An additional bridge was added to the existing "Cass Street Bridge" in 2003–2004 in an effort to relieve traffic congestion.[citation needed] The old bridge, which served two-lane traffic before 2004, now serves two lanes of westbound traffic and the new bridge, dubbed the "Cameron Avenue Bridge", carries two lanes of eastbound traffic along with pedestrian and bicycle facilities. Additional lanes were added to the highway between the channels of the Mississippi River.[1][self-published source]
3rd St. and Cameron Ave. are one-way streets; eastern end of EB WIS 16 overlap; national southern terminus of SB US 53; I-90 Alt. follows WI 16 east (Cameron Ave.)
4th St. is a one-way street, outbound access only; western end of WB WIS 16 east overlap; national southern terminus of NB US 53; I-90 Alt. follows US 53/GRR north (4th St.)
Exit numbers follow US 14; no exit number westbound; exit number is for US 12/US 18; eastern end of US 12/US 18/US 151 overlap; western end of US 18 Alt/US 151 Alt overlap; US 12 exit 261
US 14 / US 61 / MN 16 / I-90 Alt. in La Crosse
