The opportunity?
Badlands Road/80th Avenue from US 12/CTH UU to STH 65/CTH TT is located east of the Wisconsin and Minnesota Border in one of the fastest-growing areas of Wisconsin. Badlands Road/80th Avenue is unique because of its location between Interstate I-94 and US 12, with a State/US Highway and a County Trunk Highway on each terminus. Because of this, it functions as an alternative for I-94 and US 12. In addition, this system configuration creates a prime location for residential, industrial, and commercial growth. However, current and future development means this roadway will increasingly function above its constructed standard, upping safety concerns and potentially capping growth in the area.

What is the “fix,” and how does it benefit the community?
The proposed Badlands Road/80th Avenue project involves multi-jurisdictional stakeholders. With sufficient funding, the Towns of Hudson and Warren would improve the collector roadway to meet county trunk highway standards. After completion, the highway would become part of the St. Croix County Highway System.

Improvements are necessary to accommodate existing and future traffic, support the area’s economic growth, enhance multimodal use, and improve safety conditions. In the last ten years, 190 accidents, with 53 injuries, have been reported on this stretch of roadway.

What is the hurdle to this investment?
The Towns of Hudson and Warren have worked to move this $11 million project forward, including applying for several federal and state grant programs to fund it. None of their attempts have been successful. St. Croix County is supportive of the project and is willing to assume maintenance and future responsibility for the upgraded highway to ensure it can safely support the surrounding community.

What’s next?
The project’s stakeholders continue to explore funding opportunities.