Downtown freeway interchange project in full swing

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WORK ON THE MASSIVE Marquette Interchange reconstruction project in the heart of Milwaukee will require slower speeds and occasional detours for motorists coming into and leaving the Milwaukee area and for drivers using many of the downtown’s most popular city streets.

The interchange in the heart of the city was built in 1968 for $33 million. By the early 2000s, it was carrying 300,000 vehicles daily, more than double its design capacity. The $810 million, four-year reconstruction began last year, representing largest highway project in Wisconsin history.
New activity in March will require major changes on two downtown streets:

• The W. State Street Bridge over I-43 will be closed, with reopening scheduled for October.
• The Juneau Ave. bridge over I-43 will be closed permanently.

The bulk of the current activity is on I-43, north of the Marquette Interchange, notes Brian Manthey, communications officer for the project. During that period, work on southbound section of I-43 will require two-way traffic in the lane that is now northbound. Later, work on the northbound lane will force two-way traffic over to the newly rebuilt southbound I-43.

Work on the west leg (I-94) began in February and will continue through 2006 and work on the south leg (I-94/I-43) will begin in September and continue through 2007. Work on the core of the interchange and construction on I-794 to the east will begin in November and continue through the end of the project in 2008.

In an appearance last month before the Milwaukee Press Club, Manthey said the project continues on schedule. Several temporary and permanent changes have not had as great an impact on traffic movement as some expected. “We hope that will continue in the months ahead,” he added, pointing to the importance of detours onto city streets.

KeyMilwaukee.com is updating its downtown map each month. In addition, motorists are urged to consult www.mchange.org, the official Marquette Interchange Project Web site for closure information, up-to-date traffic conditions and even the ability to map your personal route.

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