SEPTEMBER 12 UPDATE: The contractor completed the bridge project yesterday, September 11, 2025. All equipment is off of the road and traffic control signs taken down or moved to the side of the road. The bridge is now officially open to traffic as of this morning.
AUGUST 27 UPDATE: The current anticipated date for the Camp Nine Road bridge to be open for public travel is Friday, September 19, 2025. Notice will be provided when the official bridge opening is confirmed.
AUGUST 15 UPDATE: The revised schedule for Camp Nine Road bridge construction anticipates work concluding on September 12, 2025, if there are no additional unanticipated work delays. A date for the re-opening of the road will be announced as the work completion nears.
JULY 11 UPDATE: WisDOT has issued the notice to resume work. Motorists should anticipate that Camp Nine Road will be closed starting Monday morning, July 14th. An exact time for the closure is not available.
JULY 10 UPDATE: Janke General Contrators plans to close Camp Nine Road starting Monday, July 14th. This is assuming that WisDOT issues the resume work notice tomorrow, July 11th. Based on this information, motorists can plan on the road remaining open through July 13th.
JUNE 27 UPDATE: Information received today from WisDOT Project Manager, Michelle Guoin, advises that “initial coordination between the DNR and WisDOT for obtaining an Incidental Take Authorization for the wood turtles is complete and the public notice was published on the DNR website yesterday. The public notice period will end July 10th. Assuming no major public comments, the DNR has stated they will issue the signed Incidental Take Authorization on July 11th. Once we have that I will issue a notice to resume work.” She also stated that the contractor plans on getting to work as soon as the notice to resume is issued. Based on this information, motorists can plan on the road remaining open through July 10th.
JUNE 18 UPDATE: According to Wendy Henniges, WiDNR project liason, complaints were received from the public that led to the DNR inspection. Here’s the information provided by Wendy on June 17:
“There was no evidence that the exclusionary fencing was tampered with, instead it was installed incorrectly and therefore didn’t exclude turtles from accessing and nesting in the work zone. All four quadrants of the crossing had approximately 20’ +/- gaps in the fencing immediately adjacent to the waterway.”
“When installed correctly, exclusionary fencing both protects threatened Wood turtles and allows road projects to proceed as planned without any additional process or authorization. In this case however, impacts (or “take”) of the species cannot now be avoided. Inevitably nests/eggs will be destroyed, therefore by law an Incidental Take Permit or Authorization (ITP/A) is required. This process includes submittal of a conservation plan – which must include information on proposed measures that the responsible parties will take to minimize and mitigate the impact that the species will suffer. The ITP/A process typically requires a standard 30-day public notice period; however, the department has agreed to reduce the notice period to 14 days in an effort to expedite the process.”
“The DNR has provided the DOT with an example ITP/A and has engaged in additional discussions with the DOT project team to assist them with the process. The DNR is currently waiting for the DOT to submit the ITP/A application.”
So, at this time, the date that the road will be closed for construction cannot be predicted.
Additional information provided by Michelle Guoin, WisDOT, earlier in the day on June 17:
“Environmental issues are identified during the design process, and in fact the presence of wood turtles and identification of this project site as being within a turtle crossing corridor occurred during design. Turtle exclusion fencing was installed on the project site prior to May 20th as per our environmental commitments. Based on reporting by members of the public to Wendy, unfortunately some turtles were still able to access the gravel shoulders within the project limits and lay eggs.”
“WisDOT is working on a Conservation Plan to submit to the WDNR to minimize or mitigate impacts to the turtles. The hope is that we can come to a mutually agreeable resolution that will allow the project to continue with minimal impacts to the schedule. I will provide updates as they are available.”
JUNE 17 UPDATE: On June 16, 2025, WisDOT issued a notice to suspend all work on the Camp Nine Road bridge project, just one week after issuing a notice to proceed with work on the project.
According to WisDOT Project Manager, Michelle Guoin, WisDNR “received complaints from members of the public regarding turtles nesting near the structure that is being replaced.”
Work on this project was set to begin as early as this week.
Guoin further shared, “Because this project area contains habitat for the Wood Turtle (a threatened species), additional coordination between the project team, Region Environmental Coordinator, and various individuals at the DNR has to occur so we can come up with a solution that will allow the project to proceed.”
The order to suspend work puts the project timeline in limbo until a plan of action is devised by WisDOT in coordination with WiDNR.
Since the road closure for this project forces motorists to use alternate routes of travel, the Town of Minocqua emphasized the importance of having construction wrapped up and the road re-opened prior to the beginning of the school year. This action places that goal in doubt.
MAY 13 UPDATE: Camp Nine Road will be closed at the Tomahawk River culvert, located approximately 0.8 miles west of the intersection with Lower Kaubashine Road/Cedar Falls Lane and approximately 2 miles east of the intersection with Manhardt Road, for construction of a new bridge.
The closure period is scheduled for June 16 through July 31, 2025. Bear in mind that this schedule does not include any weather days or other delay allowances which could potentially extend the closure period.
Motor vehicles, ATVs/UTVs, bicycles, and pedestrians will not be able to transit the span during the closure period.
MAP OF ALTERNATE ROUTES – Click HERE.
– – – – – – –