South end: WIS 16 in West Salem South end WIS 16 in West Salem | Length 30.71 km | |
North end: WIS 54 / WIS 71 in Melrose Counties La Crosse County, Wisconsin, Jackson County, Wisconsin | ||
State Trunk Highway 108 (often called Highway 108, STH 108 or WIS 108) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It runs in west central Wisconsin from Wisconsin Highway 16 north of West Salem to Wisconsin Highway 54 and Wisconsin Highway 71 in Melrose. The highway also serves Mindoro and Burr Oak and passes through the Mindoro Cut south of Mindoro. Highway 108 is maintained by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
Contents
Map of State Rd 108, Wisconsin, USA
Route description
Highway 108 begins at a junction with Highway 16 in the Town of Hamilton in La Crosse County, just north of the border of West Salem. The highway heads northeast along a brief concurrency with County Highway C, then runs west for a short distance before heading north. From here, the route passes through a rural area and climbs the Phillips Ridge. This section of the route has been called "ski-jump steep and centerfold curvy, often at the same time" and "a road to be driven – enjoyed, that is – in the classic sense" by Milwaukee Journal Sentinel travel writer Dennis McCann.
Atop the ridge, the highway passes through the Mindoro Cut, a hand-constructed cut in the ridge. The cut was completed in 1908, and is the second-deepest hand-built cut in the Western Hemisphere as well as the oldest such cut still in its original state. It has been placed on both the National Register of Historic Places and the Wisconsin State Register of Historic Places. Past the cut, Highway 108 twists down the ridge and continues through the Town of Farmington toward Mindoro.
In Mindoro, Highway 108 intersects two county highways and passes the Farmington Town Hall. After crossing the creek, the highway briefly follows County Highway T eastward before curving to the north. It turns northeast to pass through Burr Oak, then crosses another creek before entering Jackson County. In Jackson County, the route passes Melrose-Mindoro High School before heading north through the Town of Melrose. Highway 108 meets Highway 71 in the town, and the two highways continue northward together. The highways cross the Black River and continue north into the village of Melrose. Both highways terminate at a junction with Highway 54 in southern Melrose.