0000212795 00000 n [29] Finished models were shared with contractors so they would not have to make their own. [11], In February 2012, WisDOT announced the final design for the interchange. OK! . [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. It has 13 spans, is 2,369 ft long and . Scott Walker as several organizations and local governments are reviewing funding options to keep up with transportation needs. endstream endobj 143 0 obj <>stream Dan Sellers, WisDOT Communications (262) 548-6702 WisDOT took pride in finishing this megaproject in part thanks . 0000006673 00000 n [35] Similar expansion plans on Wisconsin Avenue would cut into residential properties along the street. Six 31-hour windows were scheduled for installing beams, and deliveries of beams were coordinated to occur during off-peak traffic times. Exit ramps at North Avenue and Mayfair Road remain closed. Crucial safety improvements called for by WisDOT on some of the busiest stretches of interstate in Wisconsin would not proceed.. [14] However, a lawsuit was filed in August 2012 attempting to rein in the capacity expansion component of the plan on the grounds that it would have a discriminatory effect. Overnight I-41 closures will begin the evening . A bill of materials was released in advance, giving contractors two to three months to obtain the steel before the work was scheduled to begin. Luck is the construction chief for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation's (WisDOT) Zoo Interchange, a hulking $1.7 billion modernization of the I-41 and I-94 crossroads in Milwaukee. Winter is over, and now it is time for the next season not spring, but construction. This would reduce traffic in the interchange, reducing congestion and extending the structure's life, but it was eliminated because it would not fix safety problems and traffic volumes were still expected to increase in the future. 0000014717 00000 n 0000004359 00000 n [17], The American Transmission Company began relocating overhead power lines in June 2013 in order to accommodate the new interchange design. Under this budget, completion of the north leg of the interchange was delayed by two years. Residents of the city want a more diverse transportation system. The North Leg project includes work along I-41, from Swan Boulevard to Burleigh Street, and is scheduled to conclude in 2023. Plans set reconstruction in 2015, but it was advanced by Governor Jim Doyle to 2012, then delayed due to lack of available funding. 0000001535 00000 n 0000022368 00000 n 154 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<555E162442003C48876E06E60DCAAE1A><6CA72E0C76C78E4C9F49D645561CFCF5>]/Index[139 37]/Info 138 0 R/Length 90/Prev 661588/Root 140 0 R/Size 176/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream 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]). Until the bids are received it is premature to make a statement saying it is higher or lower than estimated, he wrote. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation now pegs the cost of completing the Zoo Interchange at $232.6 million, which is up from an estimate of $202.2 million issued in 2017. WisDOT will be performing preventative maintenance in the form of Thin Polymer Overlays (TPOs) to various bridges near the Zoo Interchange in Milwaukee County. [24], The 20172019 state budget featured a decrease of $292 million in the amount allocated for large highway projects in the Milwaukee region compared to the previous biennium's budget. %PDF-1.6 % Studies have found the area to be one of the most segregated in the country, with almost all minorities living in the city and the suburbs primarily White. [33], The $1.7 billion dollar cost of rebuilding the interchange used two years worth of the state's budget for highway repairs and 15 years worth of public transit aid. WisDOT expects the work on this project to be complete by the end of 2023. [9] The estimated start date was moved to 2016. W alker on Monday celebrated the completion of the core of the Zoo Interchange, even though work on the interchange's north leg is behind . That compares with $414.6 million allocated to major southeast Wisconsin projects from 2015 through 2017. The estimated cost was $1.71 billion (equivalent to $2.02billion in 2021[7]). However, disputes arose about how each component of the project would be paid for, with each group trying to block funding for the other's concessions. The North Leg is the final segment to complete the Zoo Interchange. In another week or so, Race said northbound traffic will lose a lane for about six weeks. Several construction activities will take place in and around your MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The Wisconsin Department of Transportation's Zoo Interchange North Leg project is planning a 31-hour full freeway closure of I-41 between Watertown Plank Road and Burleigh Street this weekend. top: 118px; 0000037497 00000 n [3] One option was to rebuild the interchange in place, keeping the design the same at a cost of $960 million (equivalent to $1.2billion in 2021[7]). Evers' proposed budget would complete the north leg of the Zoo Interchange,a part of the project that had nofunding in the state's current state budget. 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. Design phase - Do you have any comments or questions? It marked the first time that Wisconsin used drilled shaft foundations to build bridge supports and the first time that 3D computer modelling was used. [16], In May 2014, the two sides reached an agreement in mediation. The budget also includes increases in money to be shared with local governments for road projects. [8] The department decided to eliminate the basic rebuild option as it would not address all of the problems. 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. [citation needed] A major component of the new highway system was the Zoo Interchange, located to the west of downtown. A plan to expand Interstate 94 between the Zoo and Marquette . The primary difference was the number of lanes through the interchange; one design had six, and the other had eight. Cost estimates for the completion of the final leg of the Zoo Interchange project are climbing in the wake of lawmakers decision to postpone that project until after the states current two-year budget period. [3] However, the state's 2009-2011 budget did not include enough money for the project. In order to maximize the benefits of a zipper merge, motorists are encouraged to keep the following tips in mind: Utilize all lanes until you reach the merge point Take turns alternating as you merge Slow down and plan for extra time in your commute**All closures are weather-dependent and subject to change. Northbound traffic will shift to the southbound roadway to allow for work on northbound lanes. 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. [31], In August 2012, a lawsuit was filed against the state and federal departments of transportation, alleging that the project was discriminatory. However, further budget issues delayed the completion (as of September 2018) until 2022. 0000016079 00000 n 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 . [17] After the four years of state funding, ridership on all the new routes would have to be analyzed to determine if it would be viable for the county to continue operating them. Orange epoxy paint was purchased from a manufacturer in Canada and used for the first test. Motorists in Milwaukee the first in the country to be exposed to orange lane markings", "Why drivers are seeing orange in Wisconsin", "Groups sue to block reconstruction of the Zoo Interchange", "DOT will pay $13M in Milwaukee Zoo Interchange lawsuit settlement", "Zoo Interchange plan affects Wauwatosa streets", "Wauwatosa neighbors resigned, if unhappy, with DOTs Mayfair road plans", "Wauwatosa officials urge state to complete Zoo Interchange on time", "Transit fight derailed previous plans on Zoo Interchange", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zoo_Interchange&oldid=1128054812, This page was last edited on 18 December 2022, at 03:58. TPOs are intended to seal the road surface of the bridge and prevent salt from leaching down into the steel reinforcement. For now, you will likely run into added congestion. Working with the contractor, the department developed plans to construct new bridges next to the old ones. Please feel free to contact any of the project representatives listed below. MILWAUKEE - Construction is really picking up in the Zoo Interchange. %%EOF "Traffic patterns are going to change," Race said. Bridge remains closed through late November 2021, long-term (through 2023) closure of I-41 SB exit to westbound North Avenue long-term (through 2023) closure of I-41 SB exit to eastbound North Avenue long-term (through 2023) closure of North Avenue entrance to I-41 SB, long-term closure (through 2023) of I-41 NB exit to westbound North Avenue long-term closure (through 2023) of North Avenue entrance ramp to I-41 NB. The intersecting Mayfair Road would be increased to 11 lanes. The Zoo Interchange is a freeway interchange on the west side of Milwaukee, . [4] 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. The estimated cost was $2.31 billion (equivalent to $2.9billion in 2021[7]). 0000079652 00000 n Agency Directory 2022 Construction - project could be advanced to 2021, pending funding. Opponents have criticized its extremely high $1.7 billion cost. The core of the interchange was still expected to be completed on time. (equivalent to $2.71billion in 2021[7]) The third option was a full rebuild with widening to eight lanes. The first would look at the environmental effects of expanding the interchange's capacity, especially if future traffic volumes did not meet the state's estimate. This works marks the beginning of the final steps in the . [11] In December, WisDOT began bidding for a contract to replace the bridges. 0000017472 00000 n So, beyond this, we'll have some sporadic nighttime closures, but nothing during the day," Race said. 0000013435 00000 n This argument was rejected by the court; they believed that the project could have effects on the entire region, not just the areas around the interchange, and the state needed to take these into consideration as well. This option was eliminated because it did not solve most of the problems. The second was to improve public mass transit in the region. Back; Amer-I-Line Concrete Pipe; ArchCast Precast Bridge System; Concrete Box Culverts & Aprons; Elliptical Reinforced Concrete Pipe; Gasketed & Non-Gasketed Pipe; Precast Concrete Products 343 were here. He said the latest estimate takes into account seven components of the Zoo Interchanges north leg. [2] The contract for the first phase of the interchange core was awarded in August 2014. Following the settlement, the Milwaukee County Transit Committee began planning Route 279, a new express bus route that would run from central Milwaukee to Menominee Falls. 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. The budget request for the 2017-2019 biennium is sent to Gov. Urban minorities, who generally did not have cars, would receive no benefit from the expenditure. Critics had warned that a delay could drive up the projects costs when Republicans were busy adopting a provision barring work on the north leg of the Zoo Interchange during the 2017-2019 biennium. The delay of completion of the north leg has caused concern for city officials as it interfered with plans for work on North Avenue, requiring further postponement of improvements to the deteriorating road. 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