Interstate 43 | ||||
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Route information | ||||
Maintained by WisDOT | ||||
Length: | 191.55 mi (308.27 km) | |||
Existed: | 1981 – present | |||
Tourist routes: |
Lake Michigan Circle Tour | |||
Major junctions | ||||
South end: | I-39 / I-90 / WIS 81 in Beloit | |||
North end: | I-41 / US 41 / US 141 in Howard | |||
Location | ||||
Counties: | Rock, Walworth, Waukesha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Sheboygan, Manitowoc, Brown | |||
Highway system | ||||
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Alternate Interstate 43 |
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Location: | Sheboyan, Ozaukee, and Milwaukee counties |
Interstate 43 (I-43) is a 191.55-mile-long (308.27 km) Interstate Highway located entirely within the U.S. state of Wisconsin, connecting I-39/I-90 in Beloit with Milwaukee and I-41, U.S. Highway 41 (US 41) and US 141 in Green Bay. Wisconsin Highway 32 (WIS 32) runs concurrently with I-43 in two sections and US 41, US 45, I-94, I-894, US 10, WIS 57, and WIS 42 overlap I-43 once each. There are no auxiliary or business routes connected to I-43; however, as of late 2015 there is a signed alternate route in Milwaukee County.
I-43 came about as a result of toll road proposals that included a Milwaukee to Superior corridor that included Hurley, Wausau and Green Bay. Only the Milwaukee-to-Green Bay section was approved. The route was originally planned to follow an alignment about midway between US 41 and US 141 (the latter paralleled Lake Michigan at the time) along WIS 57. Controversy about this location and use of right-of-way led to the establishment of the current alignment, which follows much of what was the 1950s-era realignment of US 141 from Milwaukee to Sheboygan, and a new alignment from Sheboygan to Green Bay. This section was completed in 1981.