Commuter Beware: I-94 Closures To Snarl Milwaukee Traffic

MILWAUKEE COUNTY, WI — There's a saying in Wisconsin that there are two seasons: winter and construction. Well, welcome to the construction season.

This week, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation embarked on their latest large-scale construction project: adding concrete overlays to the high-rise bridge over the Menomonee Valley to extend the life of the bridge. That project has resulted in multiple lanes, ramp and road closures — and they could last for months.

According to media reports, commuter times are expected to soar as lane, ramp and road closures slow traffic to a crawl for months during peak hours.

Here is a list of closures that are going to affect drivers right now:

• I-94 east to I-43 south will be closed until late July.
• I-794 west to I-43 south will be closed until late June.
• The 11th St. and Wisconsin Ave. on-ramp to I-43 south will be closed until late May.
• I-43 north to I-794 east and Plankinton Ave. exit ramp will be closed until early May.
• The Mineral St./National Ave. on-ramp to I-43 north will be closed until late August.

May closures:

• I-43 north to I-94 west will be closed until late June.
• I-43 north to the 10th St. and Michigan Ave. exit ramp will be closed until late June.

A Commuter's Tale

Randy Witkowiak talked with the Journal Sentinel about the closures, and said he takes a new route downtown. "In the morning instead of taking the High Rise back, I’ve taken I-794," said Witkowiak. With more people taking I-794 into downtown, he said it backs up due to stoplights at the Oklahoma Ave. exit. "Traffic now backs up all the way to Howard Avenue," he said.

Construction History

According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, the Valley Bridge was initially constructed in 1967 and the concrete deck was replaced between 1988 and 1989.

The decks were widened as part of the Marquette Interchange project completed in 2008. The southern portion of the bridge was overlaid in 2013. This project will overlay the northern section at the junction of the Marquette Interchange fly-over ramps to complete the planned maintenance of the structure.

Photo courtesy Shutterstock