CTH K Bridge Over Yellow River

Public Information Meeting: Thursday, July 24, 2025
Time: 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm
Location: Lafayette Town Hall, 5765 197th Street, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729

Public Information Meeting Materials

What Is Happening

Chippewa County and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, working with local stakeholders, are considering alternatives for the rehabilitation or replacement of the steel truss bridge over the Yellow River on County Highway K. The existing bridge, built in 1942, has been recommended to be considered eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places due to its engineering significance. In accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and Section 4(f) of the U.S. Department of Transportation Act of 1966, WisDOT and Chippewa County are required to develop alternatives that maintain the river crossing at or near this location without adversely affecting the historically significant structure.

Purpose

The purpose of the proposed project is to provide a reliable, long-term crossing of the Yellow River for all users in the vicinity of the existing bridge by addressing structural and functional deficiencies to provide a safe and efficient transportation system.

Need

Bridge Structural Deficiencies: The existing bridge on County Highway K over the Yellow River is structurally deficient. Based on the Federal Highway Administration's bridge sufficiency rating formula, the bridge's sufficiency rating is 39.6 out of 100, indicating that the structure's degradation is advanced enough to qualify it for Federal replacement funding.

Bridge Functional Deficiencies: The existing bridge was built to design standards that did not have adequate vertical clearances to serve today's traffic demand or to meet current standards. The existing bridge provides limited vertical clearance (13'-8"). The minimum vertical clearance for county roads is 14'. The limited roadway width poses safety risks, preventing safe passage for pedestrians, bicyclists, snowmobiles (who are forced to use the travel lane), and wide motor vehicles.

Alternatives

The factors being considered in the evaluation of alternatives include impacts to wetlands, waterways, and right-of-way, in addition to construction costs. The conceptual evaluation shortlisted the following alternatives:

Project Schedule

Public Information Meeting (PIM) Summer 2025
Historic Consultation Spring/Summer 2026
Construction 2028

Traffic Impacts

County Highway K will be closed to traffic and detoured during construction in the summer for approximately 6 months. The detour will direct traffic to County X, County XX, and County O.