I-41 update from Appleton to De Pere: Closures coming this spring

APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Work has already begun for the 2026 construction season on I-41 between Appleton and De Pere.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) says motorists should prepare for a busier year than last year.

Here’s a full map of the closures:

A map of the I-41 closures scheduled for 2026. (Courtesy: Wisconsin Department of Transportation)

Most of the closures are overpasses and on- and off-ramps.

• For live updates, visit the Wisconsin DOT website

“Those bridges were built, a lot of them in the 1960s, so [they] kind of reached the end of their useful life,” said I-41 Construction Project Manager Bryan Learst. “Plus, the piers are out on the shoulders and in the way from 41 expansions.”

Notable closures include WIS 96 and WIS 47 in Appleton, Southbridge Road Interchange in De Pere

• Wisconsin Avenue (WIS 96) will have lane closures and its northbound on-ramp will be closed from spring through fall.
• Richmond Street (WIS 47) will have its on- and off-ramps closed from spring through fall. A diverging diamond will replace the current setup.
• The WIS 441 ramp heading northbound to I-41 will close for a month this spring.
• French Road and Buchanan Street over the freeway are closed through late summer. Work has already begun.
• The Southbridge Interchange work is well underway, with construction scheduled through fall.

By the end of the project in 2030, the whole freeway will be three lanes in this stretch, which is why the bases of the overpasses need to be widened. The extra lane should improve time and safety.

“We’ve got significant crash rates on this stretch of 41 that are higher than the statewide average for roadways that are similar,” said Learst. “So. really. the biggest push is safety.”

The entire project is expected to cost taxpayers over $1.5 billion.