March 4, 2026

By Lane Kimble

One of Wisconsin’s newest Major Program projects could include a design change that would shift a U.S. highway and extend an airport runway 800 feet.

WisDOT is proposing the changes as part of its US 51 North project, which the Transportation Projects Commission approved in Dec. 2024.

Dane County Regional Airport wants to extend one of its runways to better accommodate large commercial planes as well as allow F-35 fighter jets stationed there to take off and land over more industrial parts of Madison.

DCRA contacted WisDOT about shifting US 51 to allow for the extension and, according to the Wisconsin State Journal, the Department is incorporating that into its $174 million reconstruction of US 51.

The runway extension itself would cost around $25 million.

Construction on both projects is slated to begin in 2029.