April 24, 2024
By Lane Kimble
WisDOT predicts better travel times and a boosted economy when the I-94 East-West Corridor Project actually happens and is complete.
However, the safety benefits may be the greatest benefit of all.
In a public document aimed at encouraging support for 3.5-mile expansion along the crowded interstate running past American Family Field, WisDOT says its research found the project would reduce crashes while offering 150 million more vehicle miles over 10 years compared to the six-lane alternative. The preferred alternative expands the freeway to eight lanes and converts the Stadium Interchange to a diverging diamond.
That’s a welcome change along a stretch of road that sometimes sees more than four times the number of crashes compared to other urban freeways.
The document also shows other major projects, such as the Marquette Interchange, the Zoo Interchange, and I-94 North-South, reduced crashes anywhere from 29 to 48%.
In March, the Federal Highway Administration signed a Record of Decision for I-94 East-West, marking the final big hurdle WisDOT needed to clear to begin final design and preliminary construction work.
Meanwhile, this week the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported the project would also improve and expand on bike lanes on the grade-level streets surrounding the freeway. WisDOT is seeking a federal Multimodal Discretionary grant to help pay for the nearly $1.8-billion project.
Letters of support are due by May 1, 2024.
