WisDOT plans two roundabouts on Hwy. 25 north of Menomonie
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
MENOMONIE — The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has two roundabouts planned for state Highway 25 north of Menomonie.
The proposed roundabouts will be located at the intersection of county Highway BB and Highway 25 at the intersection with 700th Avenue and county Highway F near Airtec Sports and at the intersection of Highway 25 and Highway BB going west near Tractor Central.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s website, both intersections have a high number of crashes, and to address the situation, WisDOT is proposing a four-leg roundabout at each intersection.
A crash on Highway 25 near the intersection with Highway BB near Airtec Sports in March of 2024 resulted in the death of a 57-year-old man from Boyceville identified by the Wisconsin State Patrol in a news release as Tony Swanson.
Real estate acquisition will be necessary to construct the roundabouts at both locations.
WisDOT is currently planning construction for 2031, although the project may be completed earlier if possible, according to information on the WisDOT website.
During construction of the roundabouts, Highway 25 is expected to remain open to traffic, but people driving on Highway 25 can expect lane closures controlled by flagging, according to WisDOT.
Dunn County posted the link to information about the project on Dunn County’s Facebook page on March 24, and comments ranged from “great idea” and “it’s long overdue” to “why not stoplights” and “I hate roundabouts, but okay.”
The county’s post has had about 60 comments.
Several people posted about having “close calls” at one or the other of the intersections, while another person wrote about being rear-ended while waiting to turn off Highway 25, and a couple of people noted that family members had been injured or nearly killed in crashes at those intersections.
One person said she did not like roundabouts but liked them better than head-on collisions.
Other people noted there would be a “learning curve” when the roundabouts are opened but that once drivers become accustomed to them, traffic will flow much better.
One person noted that roundabouts are a “nightmare” for semi-trucks, and another person said long horse trailers or any long trailer also were difficult to get through a roundabout.
Another person suggested that a roundabout on Highway 12/29 and Highway B on the east side of Menomonie also might be a good idea.
