Wisconsin Highway 57

Wisconsin Highway 57
State	Wisconsin
Type	WI
Route	57
Length mi	160.51
Established	1918
Direction a	South
Terminus a	Milwaukee
Direction b	North
Terminus b	Gills Rock
Counties	Milwaukee County, Ozaukee County, Sheboygan County, Manitowoc County, Brown County, Kewaunee County, Door County

Wisconsin Highway 57 is a state trunk highway in northeastern Wisconsin running from Milwaukee northward to Gills Rock on Washington Island via the Door Peninsula. The route serves as a primary arterial connecting Lake Michigan shoreline communities, industrial centers, and ferry terminals, intersecting major corridors such as Interstate 94, U.S. Route 41, and U.S. Route 10. Historically significant for regional commerce and tourism, the highway interfaces with port facilities, parklands, and manufacturing hubs.

Route description

The southern terminus begins in south-central Milwaukee County near Marquette University and the Milwaukee River, traversing urban neighborhoods and linking to Interstate 94, Interstate 43, and U.S. Route 45. Proceeding north, the corridor passes through Mequon and Grafton in Ozaukee County, intersecting WIS 167 and providing access to the Milwaukee County Zoo and Bayside suburbs. In Sheboygan County the route serves industrial zones near Sheboygan and links to WIS 23 and WIS 32, facilitating freight movement to the Port of Milwaukee and inland manufacturing in Sheboygan Falls.

Further north, the highway traverses agricultural landscapes in Manitowoc County and crosses near Two Rivers with access to shoreline parks and the rail network. In Brown County the alignment overlaps segments near Green Bay, interfacing with U.S. Route 41, Interstate 43, and providing routes to the Green Bay Packers' facilities and the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary. Entering Kewaunee County and Door County, the highway becomes the primary north–south spine of the peninsula, serving communities such as Algoma, Sturgeon Bay, and Egg Harbor, and terminates at ferry and maritime points near Gills Rock and Washington Island.

History

Established in 1918 during early Wisconsin State Trunk Highway System development, the corridor evolved alongside regional industries including shipping at the Port of Green Bay, lumber operations tied to Great Lakes lumbering, and manufacturing in Sheboygan and Green Bay. Route realignments in the 1930s and 1950s reflected improvements associated with the New Deal era public works and postwar highway expansion influenced by Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956. The creation of parallel limited-access corridors like U.S. Route 41 and upgrades to Interstate 43 prompted bypass construction around urban centers such as Sturgeon Bay and Two Rivers to improve safety and freight efficiency.

In the late 20th century, bridge replacements and pavement rehabilitation projects were coordinated with agencies including the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and local governments in Door County and Kewaunee County. Conservation and tourism-driven modifications near Peninsula State Park and cultural heritage sites including Apostle Islands National Lakeshore—though geographically distinct—shaped corridor amenity planning. Recent decades have seen multimodal planning with regional transit authorities and port operators to balance commercial truck movements, passenger access to ferry services, and recreational travel tied to events at venues like Lambeau Field and festivals in Sturgeon Bay.

Major intersections

The highway intersects and connects with numerous major routes and facilities: - Southern urban junctions with Interstate 94, Interstate 43, and U.S. Route 45 near Milwaukee. - Links to State Trunk Highway 32, State Trunk Highway 23, and State Trunk Highway 42 serving Sheboygan and Two Rivers. - Overlaps and interchanges with U.S. Route 10 and U.S. Route 41 in the Green Bay area, providing continuity to freight corridors serving the Port of Green Bay and Door County Maritime Museum access routes. - Northern terminus connections near ferry terminals serving Washington Island Ferry and maritime access to Porte des Morts strait near Gills Rock.

Special routes

Several auxiliary alignments and business loops have existed to serve central business districts and industrial parks: - Business and bypass routings around Sturgeon Bay and Two Rivers to separate through traffic from downtown corridors. - Short connector spurs to Door County Cherryland Airport and waterfront industrial terminals in Kewaunee. - Historical alternate alignments implemented during bridge construction and seasonal ferry operations coordinated with Door County Economic Development Corporation and county highway departments.

Traffic and usage

Traffic volumes vary from urban commuter flows in Milwaukee and Green Bay—where average daily traffic reflects commuter and commercial patterns tied to employers like Johnson Controls, Kohl's Corporation, and regional health systems such as Aurora Health Care—to seasonal peaks in Door County driven by tourism to attractions including Peninsula State Park, Cave Point County Park, and festivals in Egg Harbor and Sister Bay. Freight movements include agricultural shipments from Kewaunee County dairies and manufacturing freight to and from the Port of Milwaukee and Port of Green Bay. Safety and congestion studies by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and metropolitan planning organizations like the Northeast Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission influence signal timing, truck restrictions, and roadway geometry upgrades.

Future plans and improvements

Planned projects include targeted pavement rehabilitation, bridge replacements, and intersection upgrades coordinated with federal funding programs such as those administered under the Federal Highway Administration and state transportation budgets. Corridor improvement proposals emphasize safety enhancements near schools and parklands administered by entities like Door County Parks Department and multimodal access to ferry terminals serving Washington Island. Long-range plans under regional transportation improvement programs consider capacity improvements, interchange modernization near Green Bay, and preservation measures to support tourism economies tied to cultural institutions such as the Door County Maritime Museum and outdoor recreation assets.

Category:State highways in Wisconsin