Wood County Highway Department

Office Information

Wood County Highway Department
Wood County Highway Department (Map)
Commissioner: Roland Hawk
Regular Hours (September-April):
7:00am - 3:00pm M-F
Summer Hours (May-August):
6:00am - 4:00pm M-Th
Phone: 715-421-8875
Fax: 715-421-8874

Highway Announcements

PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT MEETING - CTH HH BRIDGE CROSSING OF EAST FORK HEMLOCK CREEK

Posted 2/23/2026 by rkrause@co.wood.wi.us

Improvements to County HH over East Fork Hemlock Creek to be discussed at March 10 Meeting

Planned improvements for County HH in the Town of Sherry, Wood County, will be discussed at a Public Involvement meeting on March 10, 2026. The meeting will start at 6 PM at the Sherry Town Hall, 9285 2nd Street, Milladore, WI 54454.

The County HH project involves improvements to the roadway and bridge at the crossing of East Fork Hemlock Creek approximately 2.5 miles south of the junction with County N. The proposed improvement will include the removal of the existing bridge and placement of a new single-span concrete flat slab bridge. The 340-foot-long project will include replacement of the bridge on the existing alignment and approximately 289 feet of roadway approaches.

During construction of the project, the site will be closed to traffic. Construction is anticipated to take approximately 3 months during 2027. The earliest construction could begin is August 10 due to avoidance period restrictions for state-threatened bird species. The exact timeframe will be determined by the contractor based on their availability.

Additional right-of-way will be needed along the east and west side of the road for the proposed bridge replacement project for grading and placement of riprap and guardrail.

A variety of exhibits and maps will be featured at the Public Involvement meeting, and representatives from Wood County and Ayres Associates will be available to discuss the project and answer questions. The public is encouraged to attend to examine the proposed improvement and discuss any concerns they might have.

Persons requiring an interpreter, materials in alternate formats, or other accommodationsto access this meeting virtually are encouraged to contact the Wood County or Ayres Associates at the numbers below at least 72 hours prior to the meeting so arrangements can be made. Deaf or hard of hearing persons needing assistance may contact Wood County or Ayres Associates via the Wisconsin Telecommunications Relay System (711).

Individuals who are unable to attend on March 10, 2026, can contribute comments about the project by contacting the following individuals:

Roland Hawk, Highway Commissioner

Wood County

555 17th Avenue North

Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54495

715.421.8875

Roland.Hawk@woodcountywi.gov

David Pantzlaff, Engineer

Ayres Associates, Inc.

3433 Oakwood Hills Parkway

Eau Claire, WI 54701

715.834.3161

PantzlaffD@AyresAssociates.com

CTH N BRIDGE REPLACEMENT

Posted 10/27/2025 by rkrause@co.wood.wi.us

CTH N, between STH 186 and North Rd., will be closed beginning Tuesday, October 28, 2025 at 7:30 a.m. for a bridge replacement and will remain closed until further notice.  See Attached Map

CTH U ROAD CLOSURE

Posted 7/21/2025 by rkrause@co.wood.wi.us

Wood County Highway Department, in preparation for the 2026 reconstruction of CTH U, will be replacing two large culverts east of Marsh Rd.  Work is anticipated to begin on Monday, August 4, 2025, and is expected to last approximately four weeks.  While this work is being performed CTH U, between Short St. and Hoffman Rd., will be closed to thru traffic (see enclosed map).

A formal detour will not be posted, motorist can navigate around this closure by using STH 54.

For updates please visit our website https://www.woodcountywi.gov/Departments/Highway/ or facebook page https://www.facebook.com/WoodCoWisc.Highway

Roland Hawk, PE

Wood County Highway Commissioner

CTH W ROAD MAINTENANCE

Posted 6/19/2025 by rkrause@co.wood.wi.us

CTH W, between 36th St and CTH U, in the Town of Grand Rapids will have single lane closure beginning Monday, June 23, 2025 at 6:30 a.m. for an asphalt pavement treatment. Work is expected to be complete the same day by 4:00 p.m.  Delay's should be expected, please plan accordingly and use alternate routes whenever possible.

CTH W Road Work Map

2025 SEASONAL WEIGHT RESTRICTIONS WILL BEGIN BEING LIFTED

Posted 4/22/2025 by rkrause@co.wood.wi.us

Seasonal weight restrictions will begin being lifted on Thursday, April 24, 2025. As a reminder the road remains posted as long as signs are still present. Crews will start removing signs on the south end of the county and move north.

View More Highway Announcements ...

Mission Statement

The mission of the Wood County Highway Department is to construct and maintain 324 miles of the county trunk highway system, along with maintaining the state trunk highway system in Wood County on a contract basis for the State of Wisconsin. Additionally, the department provides road and bridge maintenance services to local governmental units upon request on a cost charge back basis. To accomplish this work, the department is responsible for the purchase and repair of all necessary equipment, as well as maintenance of an administrative staff for all accounting and ordering of equipment and supplies. Our goal is to provide for safe, convenient movement of the traveling public.

Did You Know?

The Wood County Highway Department imposes seasonal weight restrictions on most county trunk highways during the spring thaw.
The seasonal weight restrictions typically occur from mid-March to around the end of April. Limits are six tons per single axle and ten tons per tandem axle.

For more information, visit the Seasonal Weight Restrictions page.
State Statute 346.41 (3) is in reference to "Blue Driveway Delineators".
This law prohibits the display of red or amber (yellow) reflectors within right-of-way at or near private roads or driveways, but permits the use of blue reflectors for such purposes. The color of blue reflectors acceptable for use on all highway right-of-way may be described as a clear blue having no greenish or purplish appearance in the daytime or when reflecting white light from automobile headlights at night. The shade should be not so bright as to appear white at night. The use of more than two sets of delineators on the highway right-of-way to mark an entrance to a private road or driveway does not appear necessary and will not be permitted. By two sets, we mean two reflectors that would be visible to traffic from each direction; presumably one on either side of the private driveway. Ideally, these reflectors should be set approximately at the ditch line well beyond the shoulder line.
The Wood County Highway Department occasionally sells surplus items on the Wisconsin Surplus auction site.
See what's currently for sale at www.wisconsinsurplus.com.
It is unlawful to follow a snowplow closer than 200 feet.
It's illegal (State Statute 346.915) to follow a snowplow closer than 200 feet upon any highway having the posted speed limit of more than 35 mph if the snowplow is engaged in snow and ice removal. The majority of crashes involving snowplows and vehicles happen when a snowplow is rear ended or hit while being passed. Snowplows have wing plow blades that can extend anywhere between 2 and 10 feet beyond the width of the truck. This wing plow blade is often not seen because of the snow cloud being kicked up by the snowplow. These wing plows can often weigh as much as a compact car.
It is unlawful to push snow or other materials onto or across roadways.
It can cause accidents and/or death and is strictly prohibited under Wisconsin Statues 86.01 and/or 346.94(5). Anyone who does not comply will be held responsible for all penalties and liabilities.

Highway Department Program Description

The Highway Department fulfills its responsibilities to maintain the safety and convenience of the county and state trunk highway systems by performing both general and winter maintenance. General maintenance includes the following: patching, crack filling and sealcoating of pavement, shoulder maintenance, and vegetation control, bridge and culvert maintenance, litter and trash pickup, guardrail installation and repair, signing, pavement marking and traffic control. Winter maintenance includes installation and removal of snow fence, application of sand and salt, plowing and shoveling snow off bridges.

Additionally, the department also provides road construction along with pavement resurfacing (blacktopping), bridge and culvert installation. To effectively accomplish these activities, the department maintains two (2) storage and maintenance facilities at various locations. The main shop is in Wisconsin Rapids with an outlying shops in Marshfield.

Wood County, Wisconsin