I-94 East-West project in Milwaukee, concerns remain top of mind
I-94 project concerns remain top of mind
WisDOT hopes to keep business owners and residents informed and involved throughout the years-long reconstruction of I-94 in Milwaukee.
MILWAUKEE - The Wisconsin Department of Transportation said the I-94 East-West project will make a stretch of highway healthier and safer for the next 75 years, but that vision will not come to fruition until seven or eight years from now.
In the meantime, drivers will feel the impact of reconstructing the interstate from 16th Street to 70th Street in Milwaukee. WisDOT said close to 180,000 vehicles travel the three-and-a-half-mile stretch each day.
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I-94 East-West project
The backstory:
WisDOT said the I-94 East-West project addresses aging pavement and bridge designs, existing and future traffic conditions, and high crash rates.
I-94 East-West project in Milwaukee (October 2025)
The project will expand the interstate to up to four lanes on each side and reconstruct multiple interchanges – including at Hawley Road and Mitchell Boulevard. It also adds bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure in local areas off the highway.
What's next:
Gov. Tony Evers approved $121 million to start construction on the west end of the project. WisDOT said it is the first stage of the larger project, and traffic impacts are anticipated to begin the week of Nov. 3.
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Community input
What they're saying:
Another goal, the department said, is to help business owners and residents along I-94 stay informed and involved in community discussions. Still, concerns about closures, noise and extreme delays remain top of mind.
"We’ve experienced this, it’s been 26 years, and we’ve experienced the freeway expansion, the work on the on and off ramps, the bridges being out, and we’ve always overcome," said Dave Sobelman, owner of Sobelman's Pub & Grill.
"To really rebuild this section of freeway is super important to the commerce, to the all the special events that we have down here in the southeast part of the state that people come from all over to visit," said Jason Roselle, WisDOT's southeast freeways construction chief.
I-94 East-West project in Milwaukee; what to know about closures
Work will begin later this month on an I-94 reconstruction project in Milwaukee. Traffic will be impacted between 70th Street and Zablocki Drive.
The Source: FOX6 News referenced information from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and conducted interviews for this story.