Milwaukee I-94 reconstruction project gets federal approval
MILWAUKEE - The Wisconsin Department of Transportation's reconstruction recommendation for I-94 in Milwaukee received federal approval on Friday, March 8.
With the Federal Highway Administration's authorization, WisDOT said the I-94 East-West project from 16th Street to 70th Street can now advance into final design and construction.
The project recommendation targets the urban stretch of interstate and includes modifications to the Stadium Interchange, such as eliminating left-hand exit and entrance ramps, "right-sizing" the interchange to a diverging diamond and reconstructing the full corridor to a full four lanes in each direction.
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Rendering of Stadium Interchange redesign (Courtesy: WisDOT)
WisDOT said all improvements are subject to future funding allocations. Utility work and project construction are scheduled to begin in late 2025.
Public engagement helped mitigate impacts and refine the selected recommendation, WisDOT said, and remains a priority as the project moves forward. Opportunities to engage on the project will continue to be available, and planning for an upcoming public meeting is currently underway.
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Reaction
Sierra Club - Wisconsin Chapter Campaign Coordinator Cassie Steiner
"It is extremely disappointing that the Federal Highway Administration issued a ROD on a project that is currently under investigation for Civil Rights violation. The expansion of I-94 has received opposition from racial justice, religious, environmental, public health and transportation advocacy organizations for more than a decade, and all of those concerns are still true. Expanding this segment of highway will increase greenhouse gas emissions, cost taxpayers more than a billion dollars, increase air and water pollution especially for neighboring communities, and will almost certainly make congestion worse and car crashes deadlier.
"It is also disappointing to see the continued lack of transparency in this process. Announcing a decision on a project on a Friday afternoon, prior to publishing the final required documents (the FEIS) and without alerting stakeholders, is not the way that our government agencies should make or announce decisions.
"Because the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) will not be publicly available until next week, we do not know the details of the project beyond what WISDOT included in its press release. After analysis of the FEIS, we will be considering our options. We remain opposed to expansion of massive highway infrastructure, and we are committed to pushing for a thorough civil rights investigation."