It forms the junction of Interstate94 (I-94, EastWest Freeway), I-894, I-41, US Highway41 (US 41) and US45 (Zoo Freeway). Chris Hager, WisDOT Project Manager (262) 521- 4433 Christopher.Hager@dot.wi.gov. This 1.7-mile reconstruction project will expand I-41 to eight lanes from Swan Boulevard to Burleigh Street in the City of Wauwatosa. It was resolved in 2014 with the state agreeing to give additional aid to the public transit system. The interchange formed a major connection between the Milwaukee area freeways and the rest of the Interstate Highway System, and its completion was regarded as a milestone for the Milwaukee highway system. Crucial safety improvements called for by WisDOT on some of the busiest stretches of interstate in Wisconsin would not proceed.. The department therefore decided to use latex paint in the summer and epoxy paint in the winter. The closure is set for Friday, Jan. 6 through Sunday, Jan. 8, and will allow for the demolition of the temporary Union Pacific Railroad bridge over the freeway. Condo/Apartment - Chingeltei, Mongolia. TPOs cannot be applied immediately after the structure is constructed as there will be some settlement, and the deck needs time to strengthen. In another week or so, Race said northbound traffic will lose a lane for about six weeks. .video-close-floating { Thin Polymer Overlays to 30 of the Zoo Interchange mainline bridges, Josh LeVeque, WisDOT Project Manager(414) 750-1468Joshua.LeVeque@dot.wi.gov, Dan Sellers, WisDOT Communications(262) 548-6702Daniel.Sellers@dot.wi.gov. Due to the 31million pounds (14,000,000kg) of steel needed for the project, WisDOT held meetings with steel fabricators and construction contractors to understand the necessary logistics. 0000181295 00000 n [32] The plaintiffs argued that the huge amounts of money being spent on expanding the freeways at the interchange would only benefit commuters from the mainly White suburbs. This would eliminate on street parking, which would present challenges to local businesses. Residents worried that the advancement of the work would also advance a proposed plan to widen the freeway between the Zoo and Marquette interchanges, which was opposed by the neighborhoods that would be encroached upon. Overnight I-41 closures will begin the evening of Sunday, March 7 with long-term construction staging to begin the evening of Friday, March 12. [9] The estimated start date was moved to 2016. 0000001707 00000 n It was considered a wonder of engineering at the time. [13] Preliminary improvements on surrounding roads would begin in 2013 to prepare them for increased traffic during the interchange work. 0000030536 00000 n The North Leg is the final segment to complete the Zoo Interchange. [23] Bidding for the second phase of the core occurred in September 2015. 2 Design. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has begun reconstruction of the north leg of the Zoo Interchange. The eight-lane variant would solve all of the problems, and was favored by the department, but it faced opposition by the public because of high costs and environmental impacts. 0000001116 00000 n endstream endobj startxref Scott Walker as several organizations and local governments are reviewing funding options to keep up with transportation needs. 0000008252 00000 n Like other projects weve seen when there are project delays, the costs go up in the long-term, Thompson said. Already considered one of the busiest in the state, the intersection would see a major increase in traffic volume. The complexity and scale of the reconstruction project necessitated advanced methods of construction. .media-container.floating-video.desktop-ad-is-sticky{ As the new design would not work with plans for the approach legs from other designs, Reduced Impacts alternative plans were also developed for each leg. Only $20 million (equivalent to $24.9million in 2021[7]) was allocated while preparatory tasks including acquiring land, relocating utilities, and designing the first phase were estimated to cost $195 million (equivalent to $243million in 2021[7]). +OP)HOFC\ ,^*#m^o?kHZ^Y U2@RMoN([ XLBupU|xh 5Q7>l,%S!YH:ilM}gm)i#$; G6cL:ww=&^FleKJe/W]QRul3 U 7K1rVilWZ}! [13], Based on input from the public, WisDOT took components from several of the eliminated designs to develop a new modernization option, called the Reduced Impacts alternative. Expansion of the highways on the approach to the Zoo Interchange were blocked from proceeding until the study was completed. The number of vehicles on the streets increased by between 63 and 109 percent from what it was before the construction. Plans included expanding Blue Mound Road in Wauwatosa to ten lanes, including three through lanes and three left turn lanes. Drivers should note that significant changes are coming to I-41 in Wauwatosa. OK! . For more information on the closures visit here. This would include repair or replacement of structures and pavement where necessary and reconfiguration of some service roads to improve access and safety. The north leg of the corridor is everything between Swan Boulevard and Burleigh Street. [15] The Republican suburbs have gained power in regional politics and pushed their transportation ideas, leading to proposals for bus lanes and several types of rail systems being vetoed. [5] The advanced timeline of the Zoo Interchange was not expected to have an effect on other projects that it would now be happening concurrently with, including the rebuilding of the Marquette Interchange and the rebuild of I-94. [32] The plaintiffs did not oppose the reconstruction of the interchange, but did not want any capacity expansion. In 1951, the city hired consultants Amman and Whitney to do a traffic study and find a solution that would satisfy the city's needs for the increasing traffic. A key feature of the plan was to widen mainline freeways to include more lanes. It was claimed this would reduce the congestion problem. The DOT proposal does not include new fees or an increase to the gas tax. Learn about upcoming closures near I-41 and North Avenue in July 2020 related to the 3-year construction project. Northbound traffic will shift to the southbound roadway to allow for work on northbound lanes. The full closure will begin at 11 p.m. and run through 6 a.m. Sunday morning. This was the first time orange markings were used in the United States,[30] although they had already been used successfully in other countries. This works marks the beginning of the final steps The ultimate beneficiaries of the Zoo Interchange expansion are more affluent white people who will be able to drive more easily between Milwaukee and Waukesha, where jobs will be created. The overall two-year budget for general transportation aid would be $885.3 million, compared with $839.3 million in the current biennium. 0 Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. [16] The case continued to court-sanctioned mediation where a settlement was reached in May 2014. The interchange reconstruction has sparked much controversy and political polarization. The second would look at the social and economical effects on minorities of expanding the interchange's capacity while public transit remained unsupported. Thin Polymer Overlays to 12 structures near the Zoo Interchange. IndeedWisDOT's own documents state that SEWRPC calculates that Milwaukee County will see only 300 new jobs between 2000 and 2035, while a whopping . The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) is reconstructing the Zoo Interchange corridor and design efforts are underway for the north leg. [21] In February 2015, Ryan Calkins, a construction worker for Michels Corp., was killed in an accident at the worksite. The suit also argued that the expansion would increase air pollution. That includes $1.7 billion for the state highway rehab program, the highest amount ever budgeted, according to the summary. Report a typo or error // Submit a news tip. [13], The modernization alternatives involved completely rebuilding and reconfiguring the interchange to new standards. [13], The no-build alternatives did not involve any construction work being done on the interchange. The Zoo is the state's busiest interchange and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation's largest and most challenging . %PDF-1.6 % [11] In December, WisDOT began bidding for a contract to replace the bridges. Critics had warned that a delay could drive up the project's costs when Republicans were busy adopting a provision barring work on the north leg of the Zoo Interchange during the 2017-2019 biennium. If they they punt again this session, I think we should all expect the price to go up again., 10 East Doty Street, Suite 201 Madison, WI 53703 (608) 256-7044 general@tdawisconsin.org. The estimated cost was $2.31 billion (equivalent to $2.9billion in 2021[7]). Wisconsin taxpayers spent more than $2 million on 31 items classified as undistributed pay plan quantities in the Zoo Interchange project, including the $404,250, documents examined by the Journal . County transportation aid would increase 8.1 percent over the current two-year budget, and aid to municipalities would grow 4.7 percent. z-index: 2147483640 !important; 0000037042 00000 n A 2016 survey conducted by the city found that residents were concerned by the amount of traffic. Please feel free to contact any of the project representatives listed below. 0000006673 00000 n Residents of the city have complained that this is excessive, and the costs of the projects are not justified by the claimed few minutes of time saved by car commuters, especially while local road aid and education have received funding cuts. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, long-term closure of Meinecke Ave bridge over I-41. [5] Doyle stated that advancing the project would benefit the economy of the region and create new jobs. This was eliminated because it did not fix traffic congestion and did not fully solve all of the problems. Two similar versions of a modernization design were proposed. Scott Walker released Thursday. 62 41 0000017472 00000 n Help WisDOT's Zoo Interchange Facebook page reach 10K followers. On March 7th, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) will begin the reconstruction of the North Leg of the Zoo Interchange. Jason Roselle with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation joins FOX6 WakeUp with all the details. Weight restrictions were posted for the bridges and state troopers and sheriffs deputies were assigned to enforce them. WisDOT originally planned to begin working on the Zoo Interchange after a rebuild of I-94 from Milwaukee to the state line had been completed . barrels. Under the agreement, WisDOT would pay $13.5 million (equivalent to $15.4million in 2021[7]) over four years for transit services in the Milwaukee area. Wisconsin . The Zoo Interchange is a freeway interchange on the west side of Milwaukee, . } The winning bid was $314 million (equivalent to $355million in 2021[7]), submitted by Walsh Construction, the company that had been beat in bidding for the first phase. "Plan for a little extra time and have patience, but you'll definitely get to where you need to go," Race said. The Zoo Interchange is a freeway interchange on the west side of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The budget also includes increases in money to be shared with local governments for road projects. The budget has $122 million for mega-projects in southeast Wisconsin, including $91 million for the Zoo Interchange reconstruction, and $31 million for prep work for the reconstruction of east-west Interstate 94 between the Zoo and Marquette interchanges. Study was completed gas tax the gas tax does not include new fees or an increase the! Transportation joins FOX6 WakeUp with all the details projects weve seen when there are project delays the. 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