The first major phase of an eight-year, $1.7 billion renovation of Milwaukee’s Interstate 94 has begun.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation recently announced the beginning of the $121 million West Leg of the I-94 East-West Project, which will upgrade the interstate between 70th Street and Zablocki Drive. The contract, scheduled for completion in 2028, went to Zignego Company out of Pewaukee.
The West Leg will expand I-94 to four lanes in each direction, restructure the Hawley Road interchange as a half-interchange (eliminating some ramps), and reconstruct the 68th Street/70th Street interchange.
WisDOT estimates the entire 3.5-mile I-94 East-West project will cost $1.65 billion, according to a report August 1.
The full project will widen I-94 between 70th Street and 16th Street in Milwaukee County and deal with deteriorating pavement and bridges, obsolete road and bridge designs, address an average crash rate two to three times higher than the statewide average, and prepare for future traffic demand.
Part of addressing outdated design includes moving all entrances and exists on the right side of the roadway.
The first portion of the project along National Avenue is scheduled to wrap up at the end of this year. Work on a third phase of the project, the Early East Leg along 27th Street and St. Paul Avenue, is set to begin later this year and also conclude in 2028.
The final three phases will begin between 2028 and 2029, with the final portion – the Stadium Interchange – beginning in 2029.
One of the busiest routes in the state, the I-94 East-West corridor moves approximately 158,000-178,000 vehicles per day. Plans to update I-94 in Milwaukee County have been examined by the state since the 1990s.
