MONROE — The final projects involved regarding the Wis. 11 bypass improvement project around Monroe will wrapping up this summer, according to engineering firm Fehr Graham. 

The Wis. 11 project will be ready for another traffic switch-around May 1, as the westbound ramps for Wis. 69 and Wis. 81 open up. Traffic on Wis. 11 will continue to have one lane in each direction, but the lanes will return to the correct sides of the road. Contractors are hoping to be completely done around May 11.

The overhaul of nearly six miles on Wis. 11 began in late March of 2019 for the reconstruction of the highway and its bypasses. The project is addressing the deteriorating concrete and poor ride quality between Wis. 81 and Hiltbrand Lane and includes work on ramps at Wis. 11, 69 and 59. Work will improve the intersections with County KK, Stauffacher Road, Richland Road and Hiltbrand Road.

As that project ends, two others are beginning.

New pavement and reconstruction will start on Wis. 59/6th Street between 28th Avenue and Weiss Lane, which will close down all four ramps at Wis. 11/81 and Wis. 59 for the duration of the project.

Workers will be removing the old pavement, as well as the base underneath it, and taking the road down to dirt before reconstructing it, said Ken Plowman, senior engineering technician at Fehr Graham.

Wis. 81 will be closed from just north of the Wis. 11 westbound ramps up to County N. Signs will direct traffic to detour routes on County N and County DR. In addition, Wis. 81 from County N to Argyle will be repaved this summer, however, the highway is expected to stay open with flaggers directing traffic while the work is being done.

“Mid-August is the plan” for the completion of these projects, Plowman said.