This would include repair or replacement of structures and pavement where necessary and reconfiguration of some service roads to improve access and safety. Six 31-hour windows were scheduled for installing beams, and deliveries of beams were coordinated to occur during off-peak traffic times. "Traffic patterns are going to change," Race said. } 0000037497 00000 n Jason Roselle with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation joins FOX6 WakeUp with all the details. 0000013435 00000 n [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. The budget also includes increases in money to be shared with local governments for road projects. Race said this 31-hour closure will be the last extended closure for the Zoo Interchange North Leg project. [8] Governor Doyle backed off of his original plan, acknowledging that the state would not have enough money to do the Zoo Interchange until the I-94 reconstruction was completed. Click . 0000021786 00000 n 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. The complexity and scale of the reconstruction project necessitated advanced methods of construction. supports HTML5 video. 0000001116 00000 n endstream endobj 143 0 obj <>stream [6], In 2008, the interchange handled a traffic volume of 345,900 vehicles per day, three times its original design capacity. [18] By March 2014, work was under way on improvements to surface streets in the area. [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. A-Jk@y/] 5H.e !Cw_@8Se\_sw[_/?ibmd@! This works marks the beginning of the final steps in the . The use of this method instead of pilings allowed for easier traffic rerouting, reduced installation time, less utility conflicts, less noise and vibrations, and cost savings. Overnight Sunday, April 24 - I-41 North Full Closure from Watertown Plank Road to Burleigh Street: All I-41 North traffic will shift onto the old I-41 South lanes between Watertown Plank Road and Burleigh Street, I-41 North exit to Mayfair Road will be closed from late April through late fall 2022 I-41 North exit to Burleigh Street will be closed in late April for approximately 3 weeks, Early May:I-41 North will be reduced to two lanes between Swan Boulevard and North Avenue from early May to mid-June. [citation needed] A major component of the new highway system was the Zoo Interchange, located to the west of downtown. The shafts were 810 feet (2.43.0m) in diameter and 60100 feet (1830m) deep. Report a typo or error // Submit a news tip. . . Traffic would continue to use the old bridges until the new ones were completed. An extensive study of numerous options revealed that legislators were divided into two distinct groups. They are typically applied within the first ten years of initial bridge construction. [2] The contract for the first phase of the interchange core was awarded in August 2014. 0000001707 00000 n Under this plan, the Marquette Interchange would have been rebuilt from 2001 to 2004, the light rail would have been constructed from 2002 to 2006, and the Zoo Interchange rebuild and other freeway work would have occurred from 2008 to 2013. Options included no-build alternatives, build alternatives, and modernization alternatives. Bob Gutierrez, WisDOT southeast freeway chief, said the cost of the projecthas increased about $8.4 million with each year of delay. [3] However, the state's 2009-2011 budget did not include enough money for the project. Demo scheduled for overnight Wednesday, March 17 and Thursday, March 18. The problems that a new design should address were identified as: the deteriorating condition of the interchange, the dangers of the left side exits, the volume of traffic using the interchange, and traffic volumes expected in the future. hbbbd`b`` J endstream endobj 63 0 obj <>/Metadata 5 0 R/PageLabels 2 0 R/Pages 4 0 R/StructTreeRoot 7 0 R/Type/Catalog/ViewerPreferences<>>> endobj 64 0 obj >/PageTransformationMatrixList<0[1.0 0.0 0.0 1.0 -396.0 -306.0]>>/PageUIDList<0 832>>/PageWidthList<0 792.0>>>>>>/Resources<>/ExtGState<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageC]/Properties<>/XObject<>>>/Rotate 0/StructParents 0/TrimBox[0.0 0.0 792.0 612.0]/Type/Page>> endobj 65 0 obj <> endobj 66 0 obj <> endobj 67 0 obj <> endobj 68 0 obj [/ICCBased 78 0 R] endobj 69 0 obj <>stream Several existing cracks had become longer and a new two-foot-long (0.61m) crack was found. Without those, the agency estimates that the project would cost $211 million, $7.7 million of which would result from expected inflation and $3.1 million from design costs. hb``Pe``]\01$QU(f`ddUlf`h`aagjeku @@C GC67B6&~)'`vBoxxmW`\ 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. The rate of accidents was two to three times higher than the state average. Craig Thompson, executive director of the Transportation Development Association of Wisconsin, said its little surprise that the cost of completing the Zoo Interchange would increase following a two-year delay. All told, the project covered pedestrian, transit, car-pooling, and bicycle facilities, making it the largest multimodal project in Wisconsin history. Agency Directory 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. The new WN ramp (from the west to the north) sends motorists north to I-41. This included the widening of Wisconsin Highway 100 (WIS100) and Watertown Plank Road. 0000005417 00000 n Condo/Apartment 4- 7- - 4- 7- . Roads quickly became overloaded resulting in long delays and increased accidents. 0000036792 00000 n It is part of the north leg of the Zoo Interchange Project - costing roughly $160 million. Work finally began in 2014 with an expected completion in 2018. SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News. Traffic on the city streets doubled from 1945 to 1952. The project was estimated to cost $15.3 million (equivalent to $19.1million in 2021[7]). [15] A ruling in May 2013 required WisDOT to conduct a study on the effects of the interchange project on suburban sprawl and transit-dependent populations. 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. [22] It was reported that he was trapped by heavy machinery. Northbound traffic will shift to the southbound roadway to allow for work on northbound lanes. [13], The no-build alternatives did not involve any construction work being done on the interchange. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has begun reconstruction of the north leg of the Zoo Interchange. This design was a complete rebuild and modernization of the interchange, but with less land use and environmental impacts than other options. It was claimed this would reduce the congestion problem. Work to reconstruct I-41 North lanes on the Zoo Interchange North Leg Project continues with the following short and long-term impacts scheduled to take place over the next two weeks: Overnight . This design would still solve all of the problems, but would have a lower cost, less environmental impact, and require significantly less property and utility relocations. Motorists are being asked to consider an alternate route if the desired destination is located outside the area of the closure. L301#sef`C" x endstream endobj 101 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/Index[7 55]/Length 20/Size 62/Type/XRef/W[1 1 1]>>stream The Zoo Interchange is a freeway interchange on the west side of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It forms the junction of Interstate94 (I-94, EastWest Freeway), I-894, I-41, US Highway41 (US 41) and US45 (Zoo Freeway). These designs featured all exits on the right, full shoulders on all mainlines and ramps, two lanes on some ramps, and smoother curves to allow greater speed. Following completion, traffic would be shifted to the new bridges. The North Leg is the final segment to complete the Zoo Interchange. .media-container.floating-video.desktop-ad-is-sticky{ The six-lane variant was eliminated because it was not expected to adequately handle future traffic volumes. Northbound . Note that WisDOT added the interchange's west leg work and other incomplete segments to the north leg the paper . [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. It also suggested reducing lane endings at interchanges and reconfiguring ramps to allow for travel at a higher speed. 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. 0000008252 00000 n County transportation aid would increase 8.1 percent over the current two-year budget, and aid to municipalities would grow 4.7 percent. A water-based latex paint was tested next, but this was worn away during the winter. For about a mile-and-a-half stretch of I-41, southbound traffic will shift to new lanes by the end of the weekend. Overnight I-41 closures will begin the evening . This would be allocated as $11.5 million (equivalent to $13.1million in 2021[7]) to develop and operate new bus routes, with a focus on routes designed to connect Milwaukee to its suburbs, and $2 million (equivalent to $2.28million in 2021[7]) to make enhancements to transit services. [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. This compounded on a two-year delay introduced in the previous budget, moving the completion date to 2022 from the originally planned 2018. Tolls also have been floated as an option. WisDOT encourages the use of alternate routes, including Watertown Plank, WIS 100, and Capitol Drive. It is the busiest and one of the oldest interchanges in the state. 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. [27], The project marked the first use of 3D modeling software by WisDOT. The estimated cost was $1.71 billion (equivalent to $2.02billion in 2021[7]). However in 2006, Governor Jim Doyle announced a new plan to begin construction in 2012. For the railroad junction in Philadelphia, see, Freeway system construction, post World War II to the 1960s, Core completion and north leg delay, 20182022, Last edited on 18 December 2022, at 03:58, "Once a marvel, Zoo Interchange becomes an artifact", "Years of construction ahead for Milwaukee area freeways", "State sets sights on rebuilding Zoo Interchange", "Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Freeway System Reconstruction Study and Recommended Plan", "Milwaukee Buzz: Zoo Interchange moves to faster track", "Doyle directs WisDOT to work on Zoo Interchange", "Zoo Interchange reconstruction could cost $2.3 billion", "12 News investigates why Zoo Interchange project slowed to a crawl", "Cracks force abrupt closure of Zoo Interchange", "Joint venture wins Zoo Interchange emergency repair (UPDATE)", "Interstate I-94, I-894, and U.S. Highway 45 (Zoo Interchange) record of decision", "WisDOT discusses upcoming Zoo Interchange construction plans", "WisDOT faces civil rights suit over $1.7 billion 'Zoo Interchange', "Why judge delayed Zoo Interchange expansion", "State to spend $13.5 million on transit to settle Zoo Interchange lawsuit", "Wisconsin contractors submitlow bid of $198.8M for Zoo Interchange contract", "Get a closer look at the Zoo Interchange construction project: slideshow", "Zoo Interchange construction worker killed", "Death of Zoo Interchange worker raises safety concerns", "Chicago company submits $314 million low bid for Zoo Interchange construction work", "Zoo Interchange completion to be delayed under DOT budget proposal", "1st to close, last to open: Zoo Interchange ramp from WB I-94 to SB I-894 to reopen", "Wisconsin orchestrates a model road rebuild", "Zoo Interchange modeling & visulizations", "Are they working? 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. Most of WisDOTs increased estimate for the Zoo Interchange is the result of $21.6 million worth of contingency costs. Urban minorities, who generally did not have cars, would receive no benefit from the expenditure. 7, on the North Leg of the Zoo interchange. 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. Engineers had debated between a right-hand only design and a directional design, but ultimately chose the directional. As the ruling was interim, the case continued to court facilitated mediation before the suit was settled. . [28] Model data was also used for automated machine guidance during construction. 0000017403 00000 n "We did this last year as well the backups were not too bad. [27], The bridges were built with two side-by-side steel tub girders. A survey of drivers found that 75% liked the orange markings and 25% did not. 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The Zoo Interchange core is under construction now, and will be completed as scheduled in fiscal year 2019, according to the DOT proposal. [32] The plaintiffs did not oppose the reconstruction of the interchange, but did not want any capacity expansion. WisDOT took pride in finishing this megaproject in part thanks . .media-container.floating-video.mobile-ad-is-sticky{ endstream endobj 140 0 obj <>/Metadata 28 0 R/PageLabels 136 0 R/Pages 137 0 R/StructTreeRoot 50 0 R/Type/Catalog>> endobj 141 0 obj <>/MediaBox[0 0 612 792]/Parent 137 0 R/Resources<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI]/XObject<>>>/Rotate 0/StructParents 0/Tabs/S/Type/Page>> endobj 142 0 obj <>stream Exit ramps at North Avenue and Mayfair Road remain closed. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) will close one lane in each direction along I-41/US 45 between Capitol Drive and Swan Boulevard. [6] Doyle asked for $28 million (equivalent to $35.8million in 2021[7]) in the 2007-2008 budget to begin this process. The higher traffic volumes increased wear on the streets and prevented the city from doing a rebuild of North Avenue. The first was to replace all of the roadways and structures in the interchange. The suit also argued that the expansion would increase air pollution. Michael Pyritz, WisDOT spokesman, said in an email that the higher estimates are the result of inflation and design-cost predictions. [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. The design included exits on both the left and right sides of the roadways, and drivers exited depending which side their destination road was on. 0000004359 00000 n The firm recommended the construction of a 20.4-mile (32.8km) freeway system, which was approved by the city in 1952 and began in 1953. The other bridges remained open. The interchange reconstruction has sparked much controversy and political polarization. Theres still no clear plan for how the state intends to complete the project, either. WAUWATOSA, WI A major closure will begin on Jan. 14 for the Wisconsin Zoo Interchange North Leg Project. [13], The modernization alternatives involved completely rebuilding and reconfiguring the interchange to new standards. The north leg of the Zoo Interchange would not be completely rebuilt until 2022, a two-year delay, under the Wisconsin Department of Transportation's biennial budget proposal. Rented in 1 days. IL I-57/74 Interchange Reconstruction (Champaign) IL I-80 Corridor: Ridge Rd to US-30 (Will County) IL Jane Byrne Interchange; Jane Byrne Camera; Zoo Interchange (WI) help. The road to progress is paved with patience. 0000001368 00000 n "Plan for a little extra time and have patience, but you'll definitely get to where you need to go," Race said. %%EOF Finishing work on the core continued through August. [12] In March 2010, severe cracking was discovered on one of the deficient bridges. 175 0 obj <>stream 0000017292 00000 n Thin Polymer Overlays to 12 structures near the Zoo Interchange. This would solve the deterioration of the interchange, but would not fix safety or congestion problems, as it would retain the same design. 0000010866 00000 n 62 41 0000030536 00000 n This works marks the beginning of the final steps trailer <<8C148805146A4765B468180AC02F82DA>]/Prev 231884/XRefStm 1368>> startxref 0 %%EOF 102 0 obj <>stream The proposal increases road aids to local governments over the current two-year budget, and decreases overall highway spending. [11] Since being elected governor, Walker has allocated huge amounts of money to freeway megaprojects, exemplified by the $1.7 billion Zoo Interchange reconstruction. It included doubling the revenue miles of existing transit systems and establishing new transit systems. 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. The overall two-year budget for general transportation aid would be $885.3 million, compared with $839.3 million in the current biennium. This was estimated to be in 2015. The core of the interchange was still expected to be completed on time. 0000022779 00000 n The primary difference was the number of lanes through the interchange; one design had six, and the other had eight. [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. Help WisDOT's Zoo Interchange Facebook page reach 10K followers. The project includes new bridges at Mayfair Road, North It was originally scheduled for completion in 2018, but was delayed two years in the current biennial budget. The lowest bid of $198.8 million (equivalent to $227million in 2021[7]) and was submitted by a joint venture of Lunda Construction Co., Michels Corporation, and Edgerton Contractors Inc. 0000031339 00000 n 0000079652 00000 n The new route would cost $245,000 in 2014 and $668,000 in 2015 (equivalent to $279,794 and $755,289 in 2021[7]) and would be the first new route funded with the settlement money. In the Milwaukee area, a plan to rebuild the north leg of the Zoo Interchange has been delayed, even as the rebuilding of the core of the interchange was completed. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) will begin the reconstruction of the North Leg of the Zoo Interchange starting Sunday, March 7. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is completing the Zoo Interchange. 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. Two terabytes of data were generated from surveying the site. top: 56px; [10], An inspection in August 2009 found three bridges in the interchange to be structurally deficient. Ideas examined in the past to raise more money for transportation include increasing the gas tax, or implementing a per-mile fee on drivers. 0000009567 00000 n This work remains weather dependent. The ruling prevented construction from proceeding until studies on its effects had been completed. Most of the overall highway spending decrease is due to a $292 million decrease in spending on so-called mega-projects in southeast Wisconsin, including the Zoo Interchange. Eight 138,000-volt wires over an 11-mile (18km) stretch were relocated. We'd like to hear from you! [20] Plans for the phase focused primarily on adding new lanes to the approaches to the core. 0000022343 00000 n Design phase - Do you have any comments or questions? Race said on Thursday, April 21, the project is now about one-third complete. Walker will review the DOT request while compiling a budget proposal that will be sent to the Legislature for review. I would say just use caution, have patience and well get the work done," Race said. On March 7th, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) will begin the reconstruction of the North Leg of the Zoo Interchange. Opponents have criticized its extremely high $1.7 billion cost. By: Adriana Mendez Posted at 6:38 AM, Mar 10, 2021 MILWAUKEE - Construction is really picking up in the Zoo Interchange. It allows work to continue on a permanent railroad bridge, reconstructing traffic lanes, and eventually adding one lane in both directions. That compares with $414.6 million allocated to major southeast Wisconsin projects from 2015 through 2017. [17] After the four years of state funding, ridership on all the new routes would have to be analyzed to determine if it would be viable for the county to continue operating them. They instead wanted the money allocated for expansion to be spent on improvements to public transit. hb``e``jb`a`] @Qn!~;@!+a `1$?`S@T#?Eu}Bf9XgwUV()@ T 0000014717 00000 n NEXT: 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 . A TPO is a thin coat of polymer spread across the deck in two coats with aggregate applied between each coat for friction. 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 . After concluding its engineering study, WisDOT announced three possible plans for the interchange. Thin Polymer Overlays to 30 of the Zoo Interchange mainline bridges. One wanted only freeways, the other wanted only alternative transit options. The control cities at the interchange are Downtown Milwaukee to the east, Chicago to the south, Madison to the west and Fond du Lac to the north. Drivers should note that significant changes are coming to I-41 in Wauwatosa. 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. [25] In June 2018, the ramp from I-94 west to I-894 south opened, marking the completion of the last major structure in the core of the interchange. For more information on the closures visit here. 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. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, long-term closure of Meinecke Ave bridge over I-41. endstream endobj startxref In another week or so, Race said northbound traffic will lose a lane for about six weeks. 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