County Board green-lights ATV, UTV use on Highway 86 south of Tomahawk

By Jalen Maki

Tomahawk Leader Editor

TOMAHAWK – The Lincoln County Board of Supervisors during its Tuesday, Aug. 18 meeting approved an ordinance that will allow ATVs and UTVs to enter and exit the City of Tomahawk via the Wisconsin River bridge on Highway 86 south of Tomahawk.

The section of Highway 86 from County Road E to Mary Street in Tomahawk will open to ATV and UTV traffic following “posting, notification, and completion of route signage,” according to the resolution.

The process of the ordinance’s passage dates back to 2016. Approvals were needed at local, county and state levels due to overlapping jurisdictions.

The light blue lines indicate the section of Hwy. 86 from Cty. Rd. E to the William Buedingen Training Center that will be open to ATV and UTV traffic; the yellow lines indicate the section of Hwy. 86 between the William Buedingen Training Center and Mary St. that will be open; the orange lines indicate the section of Wisconsin Ave. between Railway St. and 7th Ave. is open; the green lines indicate the section of Hwy. 86 between Kaphaem Road and School Road that is open; the dark blue lines indicate the section of 4th St. between Wisconsin Ave. and River St. that is open.

The City of Tomahawk Common Council approved a similar measure on Dec. 3, 2019, and the Town of Bradley later followed suit.

Along with the newly-approved segment of Highway 86, ATVs and UTVs are also allowed to operate within city limits on Highway 86 between School Road and Kaphaem Road, on Wisconsin Avenue between Railway Street and 7th Avenue, and on 4th Street between Wisconsin Avenue and River Street after the Common Council voted 5 to 4 to open those sections last December.