Work now underway on Highway 78 through downtown Blanchardville is shaping up as a key factor in the timing of the Highway 69 construction project between Monroe and New Glarus this summer. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s (WisDOT) posted detour for the Highway 69 closure would send traffic through Blanchardville and then into New Glarus. WisDOT says the Highway 69 detour is scheduled for July 13 through Aug. 28, but also states those dates are subject to change due to delays.

That creates a very narrow window. WisDOT contract documents for the Blanchardville project added an interim completion date of July 10, 2026, to have Highway 78 open to through traffic, while the Highway 69 detour is planned to begin July 13, leaving only three calendar days between the two projects based on official state documents.