Marquette Interchange in Milwaukee reopens, far ahead of schedule
The largest road construction project in Wisconsin history is ready for traffic.
Gov. Jim Doyle cut the ribbon Tuesday morning for the opening of the new Marquette Interchange in downtown Milwaukee, a project that's been snarling traffic on two interstate highways since 2004, costing about $800 million.
The interchange, just south of Wisconsin Avenue near Marquette University, connects I-43 with I-94 and branches out as I-794 to Lake Michigan a couple of miles to the east, parallel to the southern edge of Milwaukee's downtown.
The interchange was scheduled to be completed in December and cost an estimated $810 million, but state Department of Transportation Secretary Frank Busalacchi said in July that better communications among all entities involved in the project allowed the work to be completed sooner at less cost.
The original interchange was completed 40 years ago at a cost of $33 million.
The first rendition of the Marquette Interchange had tight, narrow ramps high in the air, making for harrowing driving at times, especially for semi-truck drivers.
The new interchange has more gradual curves on ramps, two-lane ramps in both directions between I-94 and I-43, elimination of all left-handed entrances and exits and more distance between ramps to eliminate the quick lane-changing necessary for several ramps in the old interchange setup.
Busalacchi told the Associated Press in July that any money left over from the project would be used on other road construction projects, including the expansion of I-94 between Milwaukee and Illinois from six lanes to eight lanes, a project that will cost $1.9 billion with construction expected to begin in spring 2009.
In the July AP story, Doyle said the new interchange is "the best transportation project we've done."
Carrie Antlfinger/Associated Press
The Marquette Interchange near downtown Milwaukee is seen from above on July 1, 2008. Gov. Jim Doyle cut the ribbon Tuesday to open all freeway lanes and ramps on the interchange, months ahead of schedule.
