Road crews across Waupaca County are in the final stretch of their autumn push, hustling to clear orange barrels and button up three major construction zones along U.S. 10 before winter weather takes over, according to the City of Waupaca.

While Wisconsin Department of Transportation crews expect to wrap up one stretch completely before Thanksgiving, two longer stretches will pause for the season and resume in spring 2027. For local drivers, high school sports fans and weekend travelers navigating central Wisconsin, the late-autumn hustle means smoother winter commutes are just days away.

On the westbound stretch from Appletree Lane to Old State Highway 49, crews are working ahead of schedule. Originally slated to kick off in 2027, officials moved the start date up to tackle deteriorating road surfaces and set up crossover infrastructure early. Workers are laying temporary winter pavement and plan to pull traffic control devices before Nov. 20.

When the team returns in 2027, crews will replace mainline concrete, repave asphalt shoulders, and install new guardrails. That next phase also includes upgrading bridge approaches and parts of the shared-use path along County A and State Highway 22, as well as milling and repaving between the County X ramp terminals. Motorists next year can expect lane closures, intermittent ramp detours, and a crossover pattern that shifts eastbound drivers into westbound lanes.

Farther west, between Anderson Road and Appletree Lane, crews are executing precision finishing work. Workers are diamond-grinding concrete, routing and sealing shoulder joints, and laying down fresh rumble strips and lane markings. As crews clear individual zones along eastbound and westbound U.S. 10, State Highway 22 and State Highways 49 and 54, barriers come down, with full winter clearance targeted for Nov. 27.

Crews return in April 2027 to replace concrete approach slabs at westbound bridges over the Crystal River and State Highways 49 and 54, apply a polymer overlay to the westbound bridge over State Highway 22, and finish shoulder repairs by April 30, 2027.

Meanwhile, the westbound project from Old State Highway 49 to the Winnebago County line is nearing completion. Crews are completing punch-list items and expect to remove all traffic controls by Nov. 20, officially closing out the project for 2026.

Transportation officials remind drivers that Wisconsin law prohibits using handheld cell phones in active work zones and urge motorists to keep their eyes on the road rather than checking traffic alerts behind the wheel.