Bayside’s planned WIS 32 resurfacing remains years away under current WisDOT schedule

Wisconsin Department of Transportation plans for the Bayside segment of WIS 32 remain centered on a 2029 construction date. Under the current schedule, drivers and pedestrians should not expect this work in 2026 or 2027.

The proposed project covers approximately 1.25 miles of WIS 32 — North Lake Drive and West Brown Deer Road — from Dean Road to Mohawk Road in the Village of Bayside, Milwaukee County. WisDOT says construction could begin as early as 2028 if funding becomes available, but that earlier date is conditional, not confirmed.

What WisDOT is proposing

The primary roadway work would involve milling four inches of existing pavement and placing a four-inch asphalt overlay. A January 2024 WisDOT engineering solicitation described the pavement treatment as intended to extend the route’s service life.

The project also includes features beyond the driving surface. Existing pedestrian curb ramps would be upgraded to current standards. Along the east-west section, WisDOT proposes a concrete safety island between the roadway and the existing asphalt sidewalk to provide additional separation for people walking.

Curb-and-gutter work would be added where needed to address drainage issues. The 2024 solicitation also listed cleaning culvert pipes and endwalls, extending culvert pipes, updating pavement markings and signs, revising the North Lake Drive intersection median, and relocating rectangular rapid-flashing-beacon installations. Those items come from an engineering solicitation and should not be read as final construction commitments until later plans are approved.

Traffic plans are not final

WisDOT says traffic-staging options are still being evaluated. Lane closures, detours, access arrangements and construction phasing therefore have not been finalized in the current public project description.

Residents, businesses and commuters who use the corridor should wait for later WisDOT notices before relying on specific closure dates or detour information.

Why the timing remains preliminary

The current WisDOT project page lists construction for 2029, while allowing for a possible acceleration to 2028 if funding becomes available. The January 2024 engineering solicitation listed an anticipated completion date of March 1, 2029 and described the project as approximately 1.18 miles from north of Dean Road to west of Mohawk Road. That is a different planning measurement from the current public page’s approximately 1.25 miles, not necessarily a contradiction.

The solicitation is a design and engineering record, not a final construction commitment for every listed feature. It provides additional context about the drainage, median, beacon, marking and signing work being evaluated.

WisDOT’s 2024 ADA Transition Plan also lists the Bayside WIS 32 project for 2029, from east of Dean Road to north of Mohawk Road. The Village of Bayside’s public-works material has separately referenced longer-range planning for the State Highway 32 resurfacing during the 2027-2029 period.

WisDOT held a public involvement meeting at Bayside Village Hall on August 6, 2024, giving residents an opportunity to review project information and provide input. The project remains proposed, and its timing and final traffic impacts may change as funding, design and staging decisions advance.

For Bayside, the practical takeaway is that the proposed work is more than a future pavement overlay: it also addresses pedestrian access and separation, drainage and related roadway features. But under the current schedule, construction is not expected before 2029 unless funding allows WisDOT to move it to 2028.

Sources

• WisDOT WIS 32 Resurfacing project page
• Village of Bayside public-works material