Following the end of World War II, the city of Milwaukee began experiencing economic and population growth. The ramp that used the bridge was closed and traffic was detoured onto the city streets. 0000212795 00000 n [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. Orange epoxy paint was purchased from a manufacturer in Canada and used for the first test. This design was a complete rebuild and modernization of the interchange, but with less land use and environmental impacts than other options. [35] Similar expansion plans on Wisconsin Avenue would cut into residential properties along the street. 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. MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The Zoo Interchange North Leg project closure of I-41/US 45 between Watertown Plank Road and Burleigh has been postponed due to weather. 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. It included doubling the revenue miles of existing transit systems and establishing new transit systems. 0000072712 00000 n Due to the complexity of its design, it was seen as a wonder by the people of Milwaukee. On March 7th, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) will begin the reconstruction of the North Leg of the Zoo Interchange. This would eliminate on street parking, which would present challenges to local businesses. 175 0 obj <>stream A-Jk@y/] 5H.e !Cw_@8Se\_sw[_/?ibmd@! 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 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. The second would look at the social and economical effects on minorities of expanding the interchange's capacity while public transit remained unsupported. 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 . [6] Doyle asked for $28 million (equivalent to $35.8million in 2021[7]) in the 2007-2008 budget to begin this process. 0000072749 00000 n This was especially problematic where lanes shifted. 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. However the north leg of the interchange, which includes Interstate 41 between Swan Boulevard and Burleigh Street, would be delayed two years. [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. The estimated cost was $2.31 billion (equivalent to $2.9billion in 2021[7]). Milwaukee County: Motorists will encounter a traffic shift on I-41/US 45 (Zoo Interchange North Leg Project) between Watertown Plank Road and North Avenue. This design allowed longer bridges to be built while using fewer lifts, as well as maintaining uniformity with the Marquette and Mitchell interchanges. [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 has 13 spans, is 2,369 ft long and . TPOs are intended to seal the road surface of the bridge and prevent salt from leaching down into the steel reinforcement. Transportation Secretary Mark Gottlieb said the budget proposal prioritizes the states needs. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 0000000016 00000 n Under this budget, completion of the north leg of the interchange was delayed by two years. The North Leg is the final segment to complete the Zoo Interchange. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, long-term closure of Meinecke Ave bridge over I-41. 9/15/2016, Milwaukee Business Journal - 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. This budget request provides substantial funding increases for pavement preservation, safety improvements and local aids, Gottlieb said. In February 2017, the city council sent a letter to the state legislature requesting that the completion not be delayed. Click . The shafts were 810 feet (2.43.0m) in diameter and 60100 feet (1830m) deep. 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. Learn about upcoming closures near I-41 and North Avenue in July 2020 related to the 3-year construction project. [29] Finished models were shared with contractors so they would not have to make their own. [32] The plaintiffs did not oppose the reconstruction of the interchange, but did not want any capacity expansion. After its reconstruction, the ramp became the tallest part of the interchange at 100 feet (30m). As orange paint would be hard for a contractor to find, and excess could not be used anywhere else, WisDOT decided to supply the paint to contractors. x]j0y%mAd}"f2}it}X;ptJXXj9&HR!)~sFMO\I{T=\s3(GRT^{@Y[mG,rp-`1= HSOM@U{O:ID:!5Hr,_oU) . 0000030785 00000 n This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. County transportation aid would increase 8.1 percent over the current two-year budget, and aid to municipalities would grow 4.7 percent. top: 140px; Following completion, traffic would be shifted to the new bridges. It would also give $250 million (equivalent to $398million in 2021[7]) for constructing HOV and bus lanes, $444 million (equivalent to $700million in 2021[7]) for a light rail system, and $90 million (equivalent to $143million in 2021[7]) to improve bus service. The Zoo Interchange Core and Adjacent Arterials Reconstruction project rebuilt 7 miles of urban freeway and 4 miles of local roads. 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. [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. IndeedWisDOT's own documents state that SEWRPC calculates that Milwaukee County will see only 300 new jobs between 2000 and 2035, while a whopping . 0000017179 00000 n Crucial safety improvements called for by WisDOT on some of the busiest stretches of interstate in Wisconsin would not proceed.. 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. Following public hearings, this design was eliminated. 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. 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. Most of WisDOTs increased estimate for the Zoo Interchange is the result of $21.6 million worth of contingency costs. 0000004492 00000 n Bob Gutierrez, WisDOT southeast freeway chief, said the cost of the projecthas increased about $8.4 million with each year of delay. 0000006673 00000 n Chris Hager, WisDOT Project Manager (262) 521- 4433 Christopher.Hager@dot.wi.gov. [10] However, the volume of traffic in the interchange made enforcement difficult, and sensors installed on one bridge recorded 1,600 overweight vehicles crossing the bridge every week. Following a study, the Southeast Wisconsin Regional Planning Committee presented several plans, with the recommended being to upgrade the system over the next 30 years. However, by the end of the summer, the paint had faded to yellow. } 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. 0000031339 00000 n The court required the state to perform two studies. The work on the interchange would begin in 2014. That compares with $414.6 million allocated to major southeast Wisconsin projects from 2015 through 2017. .media-container.floating-video.mobile-ad-is-sticky{ 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 . A TPO is a thin coat of polymer spread across the deck in two coats with aggregate applied between each coat for friction. The contract included work until August 2018. 62 41 The original estimate for the cost was $1.1 billion (equivalent to $1.41billion in 2021[7]), although it was expected to go up to $2.6 billion (equivalent to $3.32billion in 2021[7]). The proposal increases road aids to local governments over the current two-year budget, and decreases overall highway spending. Bridge remains closed through late November 2021, long-term (through 2023) closure of I-41 SB exit to westbound North Avenue long-term (through 2023) closure of I-41 SB exit to eastbound North Avenue long-term (through 2023) closure of North Avenue entrance to I-41 SB, long-term closure (through 2023) of I-41 NB exit to westbound North Avenue long-term closure (through 2023) of North Avenue entrance ramp to I-41 NB. This works marks the beginning of the final steps in the . The defendant agencies challenged that the studies should only be required in the immediate area of the interchange. It would be pushed back another two under the latest plan. endstream endobj startxref Several construction activities will take place in and around your The Zoo Interchange Phase 1 project was the first of two phases to reconstruct the core of the Zoo Interchange and approximately two miles of freeway to the west, east, and south, and one mile to the north. [16] The case continued to court-sanctioned mediation where a settlement was reached in May 2014. hb``e``jb`a`] @Qn!~;@!+a `1$?`S@T#?Eu}Bf9XgwUV()@ T The first was to replace all of the roadways and structures in the interchange. The estimated cost was $1.71 billion (equivalent to $2.02billion in 2021[7]). 1.7 Core completion and north leg delay, 2018-2022. The new WN ramp (from the west to the north) sends motorists north to I-41. Exit ramps at North Avenue and Mayfair Road remain closed. All Rights Reserved. Until the bids are received it is premature to make a statement saying it is higher or lower than estimated, he wrote. }. 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. Like other projects weve seen when there are project delays, the costs go up in the long-term, Thompson said. WisDOT will be performing preventative maintenance in the form of Thin Polymer Overlays (TPOs) to various bridges near the Zoo Interchange in Milwaukee County. The project was estimated to cost $15.3 million (equivalent to $19.1million in 2021[7]). 0000181295 00000 n Wisconsin taxpayers spent more than $2 million on 31 items classified as undistributed pay plan quantities in the Zoo Interchange project, including the $404,250, documents examined by the Journal . - Zoo Interchange, Utility Coordination, (Trans 220 documents and reviewing work plans, 2014-2016) - Zoo Interchange Reconstruction Phase 1, Milwaukee, WI (North Leg Roadway Task Lead, 2012-2014) [1] This design featured entrance and exit ramps on both sides, such that drivers going to a roadway on the left exited to the left and drivers going to a roadway on the right exited to the right. The first was to simply do nothing. hbbd```b``: "d-dm@$'"IF[op;D*/z}@&R It%300 !h@ ;Hu=hyE.<4pQ*_pd3cX. They are typically applied within the first ten years of initial bridge construction. 0000001116 00000 n 0000017292 00000 n For more information on the closures visit here. Options included no-build alternatives, build alternatives, and modernization alternatives. 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]). 0000017472 00000 n 0000009567 00000 n [2] The contract for the first phase of the interchange core was awarded in August 2014. A $1.86 billion (equivalent to $2.96billion in 2021[7]) deal was proposed that would benefit both groups. [13], The build alternatives involved construction work on the interchange. However the north leg of the north ) sends motorists wisdot zoo interchange north leg to I-41 be published, broadcast rewritten! Increases for pavement preservation, safety improvements and local aids, Gottlieb said and! Would eliminate on street parking, which would present challenges to local businesses sends motorists north to.! 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