^Looking west beyond the junction with Wisconsin Highway 60, August 2020.

Wisconsin Highway 16 is a significant state highway running east-west across Wisconsin, and it largely traces the path of a highway once designated as US Highway 16. You can find Wisconsin Highway 16 in La Crosse, Tomah, Wisconsin Dells, Portage, Columbus, Oconomowoc, and Pewaukee. The eastern end merges with Interstate 94 at Waukesha, about 15 miles west of Milwaukee. The western extent of Wisconsin Highway 16 is the bridge into Minnesota also used by US Highway 14 in La Crosse. Historically, US Highway 14 and US Highway 16 both used the same bridge over the Mississippi River out of La Crosse, but in the present day, you'll find the vestigial state highways with the number 16 using the bridge alongside US Highway 14 (both Minnesota and Wisconsin have a "State Highway 16" in place of the former US Route 16).  In La Crosse, US Highway 14 quickly parts ways with Wisconsin Highway 16. While US Highway 14 dives southward, Highway 16 jumps northeastward to West Salem. Highway 16 parallels Interstate 90 closely until Portage, along the central axis of Wisconsin. This includes a stretch concurrent with US Route 12, which joins from the northeast at Tomah-- this is also approximately where Interstate 90 joins Interstate 94 southeastward. Highways 16 and 12 split apart in Wisconsin Dells, but Highway 16 still parallels Interstates 90 and 94 until the Portage area, where Highway 16 will encounter Interstate 39 and US Route 51. Beyond Portage, Wisconsin Highway 16 continues its southeasterly course to Columbus. Then, Highway 16 heads eastward to join Highway 26 southward into Watertown. An expressway bypass carries Highway 16 around the northeast side of Watertown, and next, it heads to another town that Highway 16 now bypasses: Oconomowoc. Wisconsin Highway 16 joins Wisconsin Highway 67 in bypassing Oconomowoc to the north and east. Then, Wisconsin Highway 16 exits the bypass and turns toward the east on a fully-fledged freeway. This freeway continues east through Hartland to Pewaukee, where the highway bends toward the south. This final stretch of Highway 16 merges with Interstate 94 on the north edge of Waukesha.

My photo of a route marker for Wisconsin Highway 16 comes from an interchange with Interstate 39 on the west side of Portage, Wisconsin. Curiously, the eastern end of Wisconsin Highway 127 occurs at an intersection with the southbound ramps of this interchange. The guide assembly shown communicates to westbound travelers on Highway 16, telling them that Wisconsin Highway 127 begins with a turn to the right just after this underpass. This photo was taken in December 2017, during a trip to northern and northeastern portions of Wisconsin.

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