Interstate 43 - Route Description

Route Description

I-43 begins in Rock County as the eastern leg of a cloverleaf interchange with I-39/I-90 just east of Beloit. The highway becomes WIS 81 west of the interchange. The Beloit to Milwaukee segment of I-43 passes mainly through farmland situated on rolling hills, going around urbanized areas except for in the greater Milwaukee area—where the route passes through residential suburban zoning with some embedded industrial establishments. The Interstate bypasses Clinton to the north at WIS 140 and passes into Walworth County five miles (8 km) east of WIS 140. Daily traffic counts as of 2007 for Rock County range from 12400 to 19200 with the higher counts closest to Beloit. The interchange with I-39/I-90 accommodates 1000 to 5200 vehicles daily, with the most traffic on ramps connecting southbound I-39/I-90 to westbound WIS 81 and westbound I-43 to southbound I-39/I-90. I-43 passes north of Darien and crosses US 14 at that point, then junctions with WIS 50 south of Delavan. About 14,000 to 19,200 vehicles use this section daily as of 2006

In Elkhorn, I-43 junctions with WIS 67, US 12, and WIS 11. The freeway passes through East Troy about ten miles (16 km) northeast of Elkhorn and junctions with WIS 20 and Wisconsin Highway 120. It then enters Waukesha County at Mukwonago. I-43 crosses WIS 83 at an interchange just southeast of the village. After about eight miles (13 km), the highway junctions with WIS 164 just north of Big Bend, and then enters the city of New Berlin where the freeway has interchanges with South Racine Avenue (CTH Y) and South Moorland Road (CTH O). It then turns east to enter Milwaukee County. Traffic volumes range from 21,000 (as of 2006) around Elkhorn to 35,800 (as of 2006) in Waukesha County to 85,000 (2007 figures) at Highway 100.

The Beloit to Milwaukee portion (at the Hale Interchange with I-894) was given the name "Rock Freeway," named because the freeway traverses Rock County and heads towards the cities in the Rock River valley, including Rockford, Illinois. However, the moniker generally only applies to the portion of the route in Waukesha and Milwaukee Counties; freeway names in southeastern Wisconsin media are used interchangeably with interstate numbers. The freeway is entirely four lanes from Beloit to New Berlin. A six-lane segment begins where US 45 merges on the Interstate.

I-43 connects with US 45 south and WIS 100 at South 108th Street. US 45 joins the highway for one mile (1.6 km), then turns northward onto I-894 west at the Hale Interchange. while I-43 follows I-894 east along the Airport Freeway into Greenfield, with interchanges with WIS 24, WIS 36 and WIS 241. At the Mitchell Interchange, I-894 ends while I-43 turns north to follow I-94 and US 41, also known as the North–South Freeway, into downtown Milwaukee where it meets I-794 at the Marquette Interchange. The Airport Freeway carries 107,000 to 134,000 vehicles per day (as of 2007). The freeway between the Mitchell and Marquette Interchanges carried less at that time - 97,000 (closer to downtown) to 105,000 The highway passes through mixed urban residential/industrial areas of the greater Milwaukee area, carrying six lanes throughout with the exception of near the Marquette Interchange where eight lanes of traffic exist.

I-43 continues north from the Marquette Interchange, while I-94 and US 41 turn westward. After passing through downtown Milwaukee, just east of Marquette University, and crosses WIS 145 at the McKinley Boulevard/Fond du Lac Avenue interchange. Exit 72C's northbound off and on ramps in downtown Milwaukee pass underneath the county courthouse via tunnels to Kilbourn Avenue. On the way north out of Milwaukee, The Interstate passes through Glendale, junctioning with WIS 190 (Capitol Drive) and WIS 57 (Green Bay Ave), and north of Good Hope Road has a grassy median with a cable barrier. WIS 100 and WIS 32 connect at Brown Deer Road and WIS 32 follow the Interstate north into Ozaukee County. Up to 146,000 vehicles used this portion daily in 2007. This count decreased further north — with a count of 78,900 vehicles per day near WIS 100's northern terminus and 69,600 closer to the Ozaukee County border. As it passes through mixed residential and commercial zones north of downtown, the highway carries eight lanes of traffic downtown, six lanes of traffic north of North Ave to Bender Road, and four lanes of traffic north of Bender road all the way to Green Bay.

WIS 57 joins the freeway three miles (5 km) north of the county line in Mequon at the junction of WIS 167. The urban residential areas thin out north of this point as a mix of farmland and forest begins to dominate. WIS 60 terminates in Grafton at the Interstate seven miles (11 km) further north and WIS 32 turns off toward Port Washington one mile (1.6 km) north of WIS 60. WIS 33 crosses the route in Saukville, Wisconsin. WIS 57 turns north off the freeway, which turns eastward to go around Port Washington to the north. WIS 32 rejoins the freeway on the north side and the two routes follow the Lake Michigan shoreline northeast into Sheboygan County. WIS 32 leaves the freeway at Cedar Grove and the Interstate passes Oostburg to the east and Sheboygan to the west. In Sheboygan, I-43 interchanges with WIS 28, WIS 23, and WIS 42. I-43 enters Manitowoc County nine miles (14 km) north of Sheboygan. Traffic counts in southern Ozaukee County peak at 66,900 vehicles per day (as of 2007), this value generally decreases further north. The counts in Sheboygan County bottom out at 21,100 vehicles per day (as of 2005) just south of the Manitowoc County line.

I-43 passes Cleveland on the county line. The highway continues to follow the lakeshore to straddle Manitowoc's rapidly developing west side, passing west of Newton, Wisconsin, with a weigh station for southbound truck drivers located mid-way between Newton and Cleveland. I-43 connects with US 151 and WIS 42. WIS 42 north follows the freeway north to the interchange with US 10. WIS 42 leaves to the east along with US 10 east, and US 10 west follows I-43 north to the interchange with WIS 310 where it turns off to the west. The Interstate passes Francis Creek and Maribel (at WIS 147) and turns northwestward into Brown County, with a rest stop located just before the county line. I-43 in Manitowoc County has the least traveled portion of the highway with 17,400 vehicles passing south of WIS 147 according to 2005 results. These values increase further south.

The Interstate passes Denmark and meets the terminus of WIS 96 one mile (1.6 km) north of the county line. the Interstate then continues another seven miles (11 km) to Bellevue where US 141 begins. This interchange provides access to WIS 29, a route the freeway crosses under later. At this point, the Interstate enters urban residential areas as it approaches Green Bay. I-43 junctions with WIS 172 in Allouez then turns northeast to bypass Green Bay to the east, passing under the aforementioned WIS 29. After turning northwestward, the Interstate interchanges with WIS 54 and WIS 57 and crosses the Fox River on the Leo Frigo Memorial Bridge, passing through a heavily industrialized area near the Port of Green Bay. I-43 ends at US 41 and US 141. I-43's lowest traffic volume in this county is at the southernmost entry with a 2006 value of 22,100 vehicles per day near Denmark. Values around Green Bay range from 34,600 to 42,200 vehicles per day.