Next phase of Zoo Interchange Project causes new closures

WAUWATOSA (WITI) -- More construction set to start near the Zoo Interchange could lead some drivers to search for a new route.

“They should allow some extra time in their commute and know about the alternate routes,” said project manager Jason Roselle.

Roselle said crews will work on the interchange at Highway 100 and I-94 for about a year, which means the closures it causes will last that long.

Starting 9 p.m. Thursday night (new date), the ramp from westbound I-94 to northbound Highway 100 will close. That one will never open again- at least not in that location. The ramp from eastbound I-94 to go northbound on Hwy 100 will also close, but drivers will still be able to access Southbound Hwy 100 from there. Plus, for drivers traveling northbound on Hwy 100 the I-94 eastbound entrance will be closed.  Eventually, Roselle said, the whole northbound side of Highway 100 will be closed as crews work.

“It will be a little inconvenient for a while but in the end it will be rebuilt and it will be safer and more efficient for the traveling public,” said Roselle.

It's all part of the Zoo Interchange Project- something the Wisconsin DOT has been working on for months already. This phase of it just gets them that much closer to the end.

“It’s all worth it because we are rebuilding the Zoo Interchange and it`s a big project a big investment for the cities and state of Wisconsin,” said Roselle.

Crews are still finishing up the Hwy 100 project that had taken place earlier this year.

This is now the next phase- building the box around the interchange. Again these changes take place at 9:00 Wednesday night and will last about a year. The next big step happens in 2015, when they begin building the core of the Zoo Interchange.

Detours are available. You can learn more about them and the project by visiting  http://www.511wi.gov/Web/.