Rustic Road (Wisconsin)

Rustic Roads

Standard Rustic Road marker
Highway names
Interstates: Interstate X (I-X)
US Routes: U.S. Highway X (US X)
State: (State Trunk) Highway X (STH X or WIS X)
Rustic Road: Rustic Road X (RX)
System links

The Rustic Road system is a system of Wisconsin scenic roads. They differ from the main trunkline highway system in that they are not meant to be major through routes, but lightly traveled local access,[1] and are to meet minimum standards for natural features. Rustic roads have lower speed limits than those on other highway systems.[2] Each route is marked by brown and yellow signs, with the route number on a small placard below the sign.[3] The letter "R" prefix is followed by the number designation. Wisconsin is the only state to have a system of rustic roads.[4] Wisconsin has a separate system of scenic byways following the development of a national system in the 1990s.[5]

System description

The Rustic Road concept was conceived in 1973.[1] The Wisconsin State Legislature established the program to help preserve lightly traveled scenic rural roads. There are a few requirements that a road must have in order to be designated as a rustic road, such as having outstanding natural features or areas that set the road apart from other roads, be a lightly traveled road, not be scheduled for a major improvement which would change its rustic characteristics, and preferably be at least two miles (3.2 km) with a loop, completed closure, or connection to a major highway at both ends of the route.[6] The maximum speed limit established by law is 45 miles per hour (72 km/h), but can be set lower by a local government if desired.[6] Rustic roads may be dirt, gravel, or paved.[6] They can be one- or two-way and can have accommodations for bicycles and hiking adjacent to or incorporated into the road or surrounding area.[2] The designation process is initiated by application for designation by a local government.[1]

  1. ^ "Rustic Road 1". Rustic Roads. Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 2, 2014. 

History

The effort to identify rustic roads began in order to help local government and citizens preserve Wisconsin's scenic routes. The Rustic Roads system was established by the 1973 Wisconsin State Legislature.[3] The law created the Wisconsin Rustic Roads Board.[7] The first road was designated in 1975 in Taylor County in the Town of Rib Lake.[1] The application requires the reasons why a road should be designated, photographs, and a resolution of support from the local government.[1] A 10-member volunteer board develops the rules and standards for the roads, and enacts the final approval for each designation.[3] Before approving, two members of the board separately drive and personally assess the proposed route.[1] As of 2014, the system has 115 Rustic Roads for a total length of 665 miles (1,070 km) in 59 of the state's 72 counties.[1] At that time, the roads varied in length from 2 to 37 miles (3.2 to 59.5 km).[1]

List

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
Road Counties Length (mi) Length (km) Surface type Southern or western terminus Northern or eastern terminus Formed Notes
R1 Taylor 5.0 8.0 Gravel CTH-D in Rib Lake WIS 102 in Rib Lake 1975 First Rustic Road in Wisconsin
R2 Racine 7.9 12.7 Paved Center and Grove Streets in Burlington WIS 83 in Waterford ? Three segments with 0.9 mi of connecting highway
R3 Saint Croix 3.6 5.8 Paved CTH-E in Springfield WIS 128 in Glenwood ?
R4 Saint Croix 4.0 6.4 Gravel CTH-W in Springfield WIS 128 in Glenwood ? Has a spur segment included in 4-Spur column making total mileage 4.6 mi (7.4 km)
R4-Spur Saint Croix 0.6 0.97 Gravel R4 in Springfield CTH-W in Springfield ? Is included in R4 mileage and description by WisDOT
R5 Racine 3.1 5.0 Paved WIS 164 in Waterford WIS 36 in Wind Lake ?
R6 Chippewa, Rusk 13.6 21.9 Paved WIS 64 in Cleveland CTH-D in Washington ? WisDOT lists the route stopping 0.3 mi (0.48 km) short at the Rusk County line, but it is signed to CTH–D; Route is concurrent with CTH-E
R7 Kewaunee 3.5 5.6 Paved CTH-AB in Franklin / Montpelier WIS 29 in Montpelier ?
R8 Brown 3.0 4.8 Paved Loop including CTH-IR, Sunrise Road, Pine Lane, and Westview Road in Suamico ? Loop route
R9 Door 6.7 10.8 Paved CTH-T and Brauer Road in Sevastopol / Sturgeon Bay CTH-T and Whitefish Bay Road in Sevastopol ? Route is concurrent with CTH-T
R10 Waukesha 2.5 4.0 Paved Main Street in Summit CTH-P in Summit ? Part of route is concurrent with CTH-B
R11 Walworth 8.9 14.3 Paved WIS 50 in Lyons R11 / S Road in Lyons ? Loop route; Has two spur segments included in 11-Spur-A and 11-Spur-B columns listing total mileage as 10.3 mi (16.6 km)
R11-Spur-A Walworth 0.2 0.32 Paved R12 in Lyons R11 in Lyons ? Is included in R11 mileage and description by WisDOT
R11-Spur-B Walworth 0.3 0.48 Paved R11 in Lyons Walburg Road in Lyons ? Is included in R11 mileage and description by WisDOT
R12 Walworth 5.7 9.2 Paved WIS 50 in Lyons WIS 36 in Lyons ?
R13 Saint Croix 3.0 4.8 Paved Baer Drive in Hudson River Road in Saint Joseph ?
R14 Adams 2.0 3.2 Gravel CTH-A in Easton CTH-B in New Chester / Easton ?
R15 Burnett 5.4 8.7 Paved Fish Lake Road in Grantsburg Hickerson Road in Grantsburg ? WisDOT lists portions of the route as gravel, but it appears to be fully paved
R16 Manitowoc 6.0 9.7 Paved CTH-O at city limits of Two Rivers CTH-V in Two Rivers ? WisDOT lists the route starting 0.8 mi (1.3 km) late at the city limits of Two Rivers, but it is signed from a point parallel with 25th Street; Route is concurrent with CTH-O
...
R116
R117

See also

References

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Woldt, Jennifer K. (October 23, 2014). "Waushara County Road Seeking Rustic Designation". The Post Crescent (Appleton, WI). p. A11.
  2. 1 2 Rustic Roads Board (June 1, 1981). "Chapter Trans-RR 1" (PDF). State of Wisconsin. Retrieved January 1, 2008.
  3. 1 2 3 Logan et al. (1995), pp. 101+
  4. ↑ "Wisconsin Rustic Roads". January 15, 2010. Wisconsin Channel/Wisconsin Public Television. WPNE-TV. Missing or empty |series= (help)
  5. ↑ "Designated byways". Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 Logan et al. (1995), p. 103
  7. ↑ Logan et al. (1995), p. 105

Works cited

  • Logan, Ben; Vukelich, George; Feraca, Jean; Blei, Norbert; Stokes, Bill (1995). Wisconsin's Rustic Roads: A Road Less Travelled. Boulder Junction, WI: Lost River Press. ISBN 978-1-883755-02-7. 

External links

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