page_title: U.S. Route 18 in Wisconsin
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: U.S. Route 18 in Wisconsin / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Bridgeport Bridge, Spanning Wisconsin River at US 18, Bridgeport, Crawford County, WI
context_page_description: In the U.S. state of Wisconsin, U.S. Route 18 runs east–west across the southern part of the state. The highway serves as major connecting route between Madison and the southwest corner of the state. East of Madison, the route parallels Interstate 94 and serves as a local connection route to the communities along the interstate. US 18 enters Wisconsin at Prairie du Chien and ends in downtown Milwaukee at Lincoln Memorial Drive, across from the Milwaukee Art Museum.
context_section_description: Prior to 1926, the route that US 18 follows today was designated as WIS 19.  By 1923, the WIS 19 extended from Prairie du Chien to Milwaukee.  Shortly after US 18 was signed, it was rerouted along WIS 30 and WIS 19 - the present route within Milwaukee.  The remainder of the route was relocated to its current alignment in 1932.
  The eastern terminus was an originally stated in official DOT documentation to be the junction of East Michigan Street and North Harbor Drive.  This matched what commercial street maps were showing after many years of inaccuracies.
  Between 1980 and 1990, 38 miles (61 km) of US 18/US 151 was upgraded to expressway standards, with the section around Verona being the final piece to be completed in 1995.  US 12/US 18 was upgraded to expressway standards between I-39/I-90 to North Star Road, west of Cambridge.  The remainder wasn't expanded, but straightened out to eliminate sharp curves.
  In 2019, as part of the construction to complete the Waukesha Bypass, US 18 has been rerouted as Temporary US 18 from WIS 83 in Wales, north along WIS 83 to I-94 and east along I-94 to exit 297 at Blue Mound Road where it rejoins the previous route.
  That same year, two new interchanges opened in Fitchburg, replacing at-grade intersections with McKee Road (CTH PD) and Williamsburg Way.
caption: Old US 18 bridge over the Wisconsin River in Bridgeport
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