Wisconsin Highway 81
{{Short description|Highway in Wisconsin}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox road
|state=WI
|type=WI
|route=81
|map={{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=290|frame-height=260|type=line|stroke-width=3|from.map}}
|map_custom=yes
|map_notes=WIS 81 highlighted in red
|length_mi=123.81
|length_ref=
|direction_a=West
|direction_b=East
|terminus_a={{Jct|state=WI|WI|133}} in Cassville
|junction=
- {{Jct|state=WI|US|61|WI|35}} in Lancaster
- {{Jct|state=WI|US|151}} in Platteville
- {{Jct|state=WI|US|51}} in Beloit
- {{Jct|state=WI|I|39|I|90}} in Beloit
|terminus_b={{Jct|state=WI|I|43}} in Beloit
|counties=Grant, Lafayette, Green, Rock
|previous_type=WI
|previous_route=80
|next_type=WI
|next_route=82
}}
State Trunk Highway 81 (often called Highway 81, STH-81 or WIS 81) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It runs east–west in southwest and south central Wisconsin from Cassville to Beloit. Between Brodhead and Monroe it run concurrently with WIS 11 for {{convert|13|mi}}. The route was originally designated as a state highway in the early 1920s, but there were three different designations along the route. It was not signed as WIS 81 along the entire route until 1934.
Route description
The highway begins at an intersection with WIS 133 in Cassville, a village along the Mississippi River bordering Iowa, and runs northeastward from it. It intersects County Trunk Highway U (CTH-U) in Beetown and then runs concurrently with WIS 33 along the Grant River west of Five Points. From there, it continues running northeast, intersecting with CTH-N before reaching Lancaster, where it starts running concurrently with US Highway 61 (US 61). It then runs southeastward, meeting WIS 129, an eastern bypass of Lancaster, before exiting its concurrencies with US 61 and WIS 33. From there. it continues running southeast, passing the community of Ellenboro and running concurrently with CTH-D before entering Platteville along Lancaster Street. The highway then runs along a few of the streets in Platteville and ends its concurrency with CTH-D before starting another concurrency with WIS 80.
The highway runs southeasterly along the WIS 80 concurrency, intersecting with Business US 151 (Bus. US 151) before passing through an interchange with US 151. It then curves to the south, passing by Platteville Municipal Airport before exiting its concurrency with WIS 80 and running east from it. The highway runs directly eastward, passing by Elk Grove and intersecting with WIS 126 and numerous county trunk highways before running along a short concurrency with WIS 23 in Darlington. From there, it runs along the Pecatonica River before it runs south of the highway, and the highway runs east, passing through the community of Lamont before running along a short concurrency with WIS 78 in Argyle.
East of Argyle, the highway runs southeasterly towards Monroe before running concurrently with WIS 11 along a bypass alignment just north of Monroe. The concurrency runs east, passing by Juda before the highway leaves the concurrency and runs southeast from it. The highway curves east in Newark before entering Beloit along Liberty Avenue. West of the Rock River, the highway follows a short concurrency with WIS 213. After crossing the Rock River, the highway intersects US 51 before running northeast from it and terminating at an interchange with Interstate 39/Interstate 90 (I-39/I-90) and continuing as I-43.
History
The route first appeared as a state trunk highway in the early 1920s but was split into three differently designated segments: from Cassville to the beginning of the WIS 35 (then WIS 65) concurrency, it was WIS 105; from the beginning of said concurrency to Monroe, it was part of WIS 65; and from the end of the WIS 11 (then WIS 20), it was part of WIS 61.{{cite map |author1 = Wisconsin State Conservation Commission |date = c. 1921 |title = Map of the State Highway System of Wisconsin, Showing, Within Red Circle, Location of Northern Lakes Park |url = http://content.wisconsinhistory.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/maps/id/946/rec/36 |scale = Scale not given |location = n.p. |publisher = Wisconsin State Conservation Commission |oclc = 708376740 |via = Wisconsin Historical Society |access-date = April 11, 2020 }} In 1924, the entire route was signed as a western extension of WIS 61.{{cite map |author1 = Wisconsin Motorists Association |year = 1924 |title = Our Map of Wisconsin |url = http://content.wisconsinhistory.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/maps/id/14655/rec/63 |scale = Scale not given |location = Milwaukee |publisher = Wisconsin Motorists Association |oclc = 664274042 |via = Wisconsin Historical Society |access-date = April 11, 2020 }} In 1927, the highway, along with the rest of WIS 61, had been renumbered to WIS 14.{{cite map |author1 = Wisconsin State Highway Commission |year = 1927 |title = Official Highway Map of Wisconsin: 'The Playground of the Middle West' |url = http://content.wisconsinhistory.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/maps/id/14114/rec/42 |scale = 1:950,400 |location = Madison |publisher = Wisconsin State Highway Commission |oclc = 671337231 |via = Wisconsin Historical Society |access-date = April 11, 2020 }} In 1934, when US 14 was designated within the state, the entire route was renumbered to WIS 81.{{cite map |author1 = Wisconsin State Highway Commission |year = 1934 |title = Official Highway Map of Wisconsin 1934 |url = http://content.wisconsinhistory.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/maps/id/14147/rec/47 |scale = 1:823,680 |location = Madison |publisher = Wisconsin State Highway Commission |oclc = 227048467 |via = Wisconsin Historical Society |access-date = April 11, 2020 }} Between 1948 and 1956, the entire route within Grant County was paved. The sections which were not paved in 1956 were the entire route in Lafayette County, between the WIS 11 concurrency and Newark, and a short section along the WIS 11 concurrency near Juda.{{cite map |author1 = Wisconsin State Highway Commission |year = 1948 |title = Preliminary Traffic Map, Showing Annual 24 Hour Average Traffic, State of Wisconsin |url = http://content.wisconsinhistory.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/maps/id/14173/rec/69 |scale = c. 1:1,198,000 |location = Madison |publisher = Wisconsin State Highway Commission |oclc = 770711221 |via = Wisconsin Historical Society |access-date = April 11, 2020 }}{{cite web |author1 = Wisconsin Highway Commission |year = 1956 |title = Wisconsin State Atlas 1956 Highway Maps |url = http://www.historicmapworks.com/Atlas/US/9643/Wisconsin+State+Atlas+1956+Highway+Maps/ |location = Madison |publisher = Wisconsin Highway Commission |via = Historic Map Works |access-date = April 11, 2020 }}
In 2021, the eastern terminus of the highway was extended to I-43's exit 1 (CTH-X) and the interchange at I-39/90 was changed to a diverging diamond interchange. I-43 now terminates at a directional-T interchange at I-39/90, and the eastern terminus at I-43 is now a dumbbell interchange.
Major junctions
{{WIint
|county=Grant
|cspan=8
|location=Cassville
|mile=0.0
|road={{jct|state=WI|WI|133|GRR|location1=Nelson Dewey State Park|location2=Stonefield Historic Site}}
}}
{{WIint
|type=concur
|mile=11.6
|location=Beetown
|road={{jct|state=WI|WI|35|dir1=north|city1=Prairie du Chien}}
|notes=Western end of WIS 35 concurrency
}}
{{WIint
|location=Lancaster
|mile=18.8
|type=concur
|road={{jct|state=WI|US|61|dir1=north|name1=Madison Street}}
|notes=Northern end of US 61 concurrency
}}
{{WIint
|location=South Lancaster
|lspan=2
|mile=20.8
|road={{jct|state=WI|US-Truck|61|dab1=Lancaster|dir1=north|WI|129|dir2=north|city1=Fennimore}}
}}
{{WIint
|type=concur
|mile=21.6
|road={{jct|state=WI|US|61|WIS|35|dir1=south|dir2=south|city1=Dickeyville|location2=Dubuque}}
|notes=Southern end of US 61/WIS 35 concurrency
}}
{{WIint
|type=concur
|location=Platteville
|mile=34.8
|road={{jct|state=WI|WI|80|dir1=north|city1=Livingston|city2=Montfort}}
|notes=Northern end of WIS 80 concurrency
}}
{{WIint
|location1=Platteville
|location2=Platteville (town)
|ctdab2=Grant
|mile=36.5
|road={{jct|state=WI|US|151|city1=Madison|location2=Dubuque}}
|notes=Interchange
}}
{{WIint
|type=concur
|location=Smelser
|mile=40.2
|road={{jct|state=WI|WI|80|dir1=South|city1=Cuba City|city2=Hazel Green}}
|notes=Southern end of WIS 80 concurrency
}}
{{WIint
|county=Lafayette
|cspan=5
|location=Elk Grove
|mile=45.6
|road={{jct|state=WI|WI|126|dir1=north|city1=Belmont}}
}}
{{WIint
|type=concur
|location1=Darlington
|location2=Darlington (town)
|mile=55.8
|road={{jct|state=WI|WI|23|dir1=south|city1=Shullsburg}}
|notes=Southern end of WIS 23 concurrency
}}
{{WIint
|location=Darlington
|mile=56.9
|type=concur
|road={{jct|state=WI|WI|23|dir1=north|name1=Main Street}}
|notes=Northern end of WIS 23 concurrency
}}
{{WIint
|type=concur
|location=Argyle
|lspan=2
|mile=71.7
|road={{jct|state=WI|WI|78|dir1=south|city1=Gratiot}}
|notes=Western end of WIS 78 concurrency
}}
{{WIint
|type=concur
|mile=72.1
|road={{jct|state=WI|WI|78|dir1=north|city1=Blanchardville}}
|notes=Eastern end of WIS 78 concurrency
}}
{{WIint
|type=concur
|county=Green
|cspan=4
|town=Monroe
|ctdab=Green
|lspan=2
|mile=85.7
|road={{jct|state=WI|WI|11|WI|69|dir1=west|dir2=south|location1=Dubuque|location2=Freeport}}
|notes=Western end of WIS 11/WIS 69 concurrency; interchange
}}
{{WIint
|type=concur
|mile=86.6
|road={{jct|state=WI|WI|69|dir1=north|WI-Bus|11|city1=Verona}}
|notes=Eastern end of WIS 69 concurrency; interchange
}}
{{WIint
|mile=87.7
|location1=Monroe (town)
|location2=Monroe
|ctdab1=Green
|road={{jct|state=WI|WIS|59|dir1=east|city1=Albany}}
|notes=Interchange
}}
{{WIint
|mile=99.5
|location=Spring Grove
|type=concur
|road={{jct|state=WI|WIS|11|CTH|GG|dir1=east|dir2=north|city1=Brodhead}}
|notes=Eastern end of WIS 11 concurrency
}}
{{WIint
|type=concur
|county=Rock
|cspan=6
|location=Beloit
|lspan=4
|mile=118.5
|road={{jct|state=WI|WI|213|dir1=north|city1=Orfordville}}
|notes=Western end of WIS 213 concurrency
}}
{{WIint
|mile=119.7
|type=concur
|road={{jct|state=WI|WI|213|dir1=south|name1=4th Street}}
|notes=Eastern end of WIS 213 concurrency
}}
{{WIint
|mile=120.0
|road={{jct|state=WI|US|51|name1=Riverside Drive, Pleasant Street}}
}}
{{WIint
|mile=123.1
|road={{jct|state=WI|I|39|I|90|I-Alt|43|city1=Madison|location2=Chicago}}
|notes=I-39/I-90 exit 185; diverging diamond interchange
}}
{{WIint
|location=Turtle
|lspan=2
|mile=124.8
|type=concur
|road={{jct|state=WI|CTH|X|dir1=east}}
|notes=Western end of CTH-X concurrency
}}
{{WIint
|mile=125.1
|type=concur
|road={{jct|state=WI|I|43|I-Alt|39|CTH|X|dir3=east|road|Hart Road|location1=Milwaukee|city2=Beloit}}
|notes=I-43 exits 0A-B southbound; tri-stack interchange.
}}
{{jctbtm|keys=concur}}
See also
{{Attached KML|display=title,inline}}
- {{portal-inline|U.S. Roads}}