State Trunk Highway 34 (often called Highway 34, STH-34 or WIS 34) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It runs north–south as a shortcut route in central Wisconsin connecting Wausau and Wisconsin Rapids. In 2012, WIS 13 was added as a concurrency between US Highway 10 (US10) west of Junction City and WIS34's southern terminus in Wisconsin Rapids. The highway ends at Interstate 39 (I-39) in Knowlton on the north end, and at WIS13 in Wisconsin Rapids on the south end.

Route description

Starting at WIS13/WIS73 in Wisconsin Rapids, WIS34 begins as a brief five-lane divided highway (three lanes northbound; two lanes southbound). Also, WIS13 follows WIS34 before reaching US10. In the meantime, after crossing High Street at a four-way intersection, the road becomes a four-lane divided highway (two lanes in both directions). As both routes reach the city limit, the road downgrades into a two-lane undivided highway. Then, both reach WIS66 at a three-way intersection. Just west of Junction City, they meet US10 at a diamond interchange. WIS34 turns east while WIS13 turns west on the US10 expressway. At the next exit, WIS34 turns back north at another diamond interchange. Continuing north, it crosses the Wisconsin River. After crossing the Wisconsin River, it curves east to meet I-39/US51 at a diamond interchange. At that diamond interchange, WIS34 ends there.

History

Initially, WIS34 traveled from WIS45 in Ellsworth to WIS37 in Mondovi roughly on present-day US10. In 1920, WIS34 extended west to Prescott. In 1924, WIS34 moved to a new route (Berlin to Butte des Morts) as WIS18 acquired the entirety of old WIS34. In 1927, the WIS116 designation moved to use the Berlin to Butte des Morts route. As a result, WIS34 moved back onto its old route. This time, it used its old route and then traveled eastward to US10/US12 in Fairchild (the extension is also now part of US10). In 1935, WIS34 moved onto its current route except for the US10 expressway. This relocation happened in favor of replacing WIS45 (which duplicated US45 since 1935) and relocating US10 southward (which superseded what used to be WIS34).

Between July 2010 and October 2011, the US10 expressway was being built. After its opening, WIS34 moved onto part of the expressway.

Major intersections

See also

References

External links