
One signing oddity was made in the city of Madison, where instead of signing I-39/90/ 94 with three separate signs, a single blank Interstate shield was used instead. The mainline was well posted with reassurance markers, but intersecting roads generally omitted the I-39 designation until at least 2003.
I39 AND EXIT 22 FULL
The full installation of signs acknowledging I-39 along the overlap with I-90 and I-94 in southern Wisconsin was a slow process. The WisDOT application cited the addition of 182 miles for I-39 in the state, with 103 miles independent of another Interstate highway. The IDOT application added 19 miles from I-90 near Rockford to the Wisconsin state line.

Separate applications by IDOT and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) for the northward extension of Interstate 39 from Rockford, Illinois to STH 29 in Wausau, Wisconsin were approved by AASHTO on October 22, 1993. The remainder of I-39 south between IL 251 and Bloomington-Normal was constructed between 19. This section initially opened to traffic from I-80 south across the Illinois River to IL 251 (old U.S. The section between IL 5 and Interstate 80 opened in 1986.ĪASHTO approved an extension of Interstate 39 south from I-80 at LaSalle/Peru to I-55 at Bloomington subject to Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) concurrence on June 10, 1986. 51 was only constructed between former IL 5 (East-West Tollway/I-88) and U.S. When proposed in 1984 as I-39, the freeway along U.S. However after reconsideration, the Route Numbering Committee approved a subsequent request by IDOT on Janufor the establishment of I-39 in a letter dated February 5, 1985. This route would provide a direct connection between Interstate Route 80 and Interstate Route 90 and would serve the Rockford Metropolitan area which as a population of over 200,000.ĪASHTO disapproved the application on December 8, 1984, instead recommending a three digit spur. Therefore, we are proposing that this 64 mile segment of freeway between FAI 90 at Cherry Valley and FAI 80 at LaSalle/Peru, be designated as Interstate Route 39 under Title 23 U.S.C. The segment south of Illinois Route 5 to Interstate Route 80, presently under construction, also meets Interstate standards. Route 51 corridor from Rockford south to Illinois Route 5 is built to Interstate standards. The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) applied for the designation of Interstate 39 to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) on October 22, 1984: 51 extends the freeway along side Wis 29 west to Wausau and as a solo route northward to Merrill. 51 parallels the Wisconsin River north to Mosinee, Rothschild and Wis 29, where Interstate 39 concludes. 51 from Stevens Point to a freeway completed in August 2012 leading west to Junction City and Milladore. 51 northward from Portage to Packawaukee, Plover and Stevens Point. I-39 separates with I-90/94 just beyond the Wisconsin River to again overtake U.S. I-39, I-90 and I-94 run concurrently for 29 miles along a northward heading from Madison to the outskirts of Portage. There Interstate 94 ties in from Waukesha and Milwaukee to the east to form the longest three way overlap on the Interstate system. Advancing northward, the pair pass through Janesville while en route to the capital city of Madison.

I-39/90 combine there along the east side of Rockford to Beloit, Wisconsin, where they meet the south end of Interstate 43. 20 turns I-39 east to Interstate 90, the Jane Addams Memorial (Northwest) Tollway. North from there, the freeway continues to I-88 outside Rochelle and U.S. 51 to Peru and La Salle, where it meets Interstate 80. A mostly rural route, I-39 begins on the north side of Normal at I-55, overtaking U.S. Turn left at the Chula Vista Parkway entrance.Interstate 39 runs northward through Illinois and Wisconsin as a long distance bypass for traffic around the Chicago and Milwaukee metropolitan areas. *Access from the East: From the east, go to the ntersections of Hwy's 16,23 and 13. Follow Hwy 13 through to the fifth stoplight and turn left on Hwy 13 North and travel 2.8 miles. At the first stoplight take a left onto Hwy 13 North. Turn left the Chula Vista Parkway entrance.įrom Eau Claire (via Hwy 12): Follow Hwy 12 East through to the Wisconsin Dells. Once you reach the intersections of Hwy’s 16,23, and 13, take a right and go north on Hwy 13 for 2.8 miles. Follow Hwy 23 past Briggsville for about fifteen miles.
