Construction and Detours

Reminder: There will be no bus service on Memorial Day Monday, May 26th.

This year's road construction is causing delays in car and bus travel! It's especially affecting the Route 5. Here are some notices about detours and options from the MTU. Note that MTU and Drift Link Public Transit (Onalaska-Holmen-West Salem Shared Ride) are coordinating even more than usual with special return transfers for those needing to get to the Target area from Valley View Mall. 

You can always set up a transfer ahead of time by phone or online from MTU to Drift Link. The transfer point is the #5 stop at Valley View Mall. Transfers are limited to Drift Link service hours and will get you to points in the City Limits of Onalaska, Village of Holmen, and Village of West Salem. Normally, for the return ride, you pay the Drift Link fare to get back to the Mall to transfer back to the MTU, $3.00 - $4.50, depending on age, ability, and status, but there's a special transfer for Target rides during this construction period.

If you have questions about any of these changes, please ask your driver or call 608-789-7350.

Route 8 Crossing Meadows - For the duration of the Highway 16 construction project, bus stops on Hemstock Street will be demand response only during MTU office hours M-F, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please tell your driver that you want to be dropped off there OR CALL MTU at 608-789-7350 to get picked up there.

Route 5 Valley View - During the Highway 16 construction project when the southbound lane is closed, the bus will only make pick ups on the Frontage Road going to the mall. 

Route 5 Downtown - During the Highway 16 construction project when the southbound lane is closed, the bus will take Hwy 157 to Enterprise Road and continue south through the Industrial Park, rejoining its regular route at to Gillette St (Highway B) & River Valley Drive. 

Route 5 Downtown - For the duration of the Highway 16 construction project, the bus stop at Office Depot will be demand response only during MTU office hours, M-F, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please tell your driver that you want to be dropped off there OR CALL MTU at 608-789-7350 to ge picked up there.

Route 5 Downtown starting May 27: At the beginning of service on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, the intersection of Theater Rd and County PH will be closed for road construction. All bus stops along County PH (Target, Slumberland and Braund St.) will be closed for the duration of the project. A temporary bus stop will be placed just inside the entrance of Crossroads Center across from the Subway. No temporary bus stops will be put out on HWY 16. To get to Target, ask your MTU driver for a transfer for Drift Link. YOU must call Drift Link, 608-784-0000, to set up your ride. MTU will give you a different transfer to return from Target to the open mall area bus stops using Drift Link. Again, YOU must call 608-784-0000 for the ride from Drift Link to get picked up at Target.

Route 5 Downtown during 6th Street construction, buses will turn left (south ) at 5th Street to King Street and then turn left (west ) on King Street to the Transit Center. You can use the existing bus stops at 5th south of State Street and at 5th and King Streets, but 5th and Cass Street will be a Route 2 pickup only.

Circulators C1 & C2 starting Monday, May 19: Main St. will be closed to traffic at 6th St.

Circulator 1 will go from 5th Ave S. north to State St., turn right (east) to 7th St., turn right (south) to Main St. then left (east) and back on route. A temporary bus stop will be placed at 6th and State St.

Circulator 2 will make a right (north) on 7th St. from Main St., go north to State St. then left (west) on State St. rejoining the route at 6th St. A temporary bus stop will be placed at 7th and Main St.

Route 4 Losey & Route 1 Downtown - due to construction near the Aldi in Shelby Mall, both buses will take East Avenue directly to Shelby Road instead of traveling through the mall. They will turn left (east) onto Shelby Road and there will be a temporary stop at Markle Drive where passengers may transfer. They will resume their normal routes.

Route 4 on June 6 & 7 limited service to UWL: At the beginning of service on Friday June 6 to the end of service on Saturday June 7 we will be using the following detour due to the State Track Meet being held on the UWL campus:  Route 4 Losey Blvd will use West Ave to Main St and Main St to 19th St to resume the route. Route #4 Downtown will use Main St to 13th St and 13th St to Badger St to resume the route.

PLEASE CHECK THE MTU DETOURS PAGE FOR COMPLETE UPDATES AND INFO IN SPANISH AND HMONG.