March 11, 2026

By Lane Kimble

Traffic along the I-94 East-West project in Milwaukee is about to get a little tighter next week.

WisDOT plans to switch eastbound freeway traffic between 70th Street and Zablocki Drive across the median to the westbound side ahead of 5 a.m. Tuesday, March 17.

The switchover will allow construction crews to begin rebuilding the eastbound lanes as part of the massive, seven-year expansion project.

The temporarily configured lanes will allow for three lanes of eastbound traffic and two for westbound.

Meanwhile, the I-94 westbound exit ramp to 68th/70th streets will close March 17 by 9 p.m. and remain closed through late summer 2028.

Work began in earnest on I-94 East-West in late 2025.

WTBA member companies, including primes Zignego Company and Zenith Tech, a host of subcontractors, along with consulting firms Jacobs and HNTB, are playing key roles in the $1.8 billion project, which is expanding the freeway to eight lanes and rebuilding the Stadium Interchange into a Diverging Diamond.

Major construction is currently scheduled to be done in 2033.