TRAFFIC TRACKER: Jackson/Van Buren exit for I-794 East shutting down long-term

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Drivers get ready to see some traffic changes this weekend if you plan to head downtown. Crews will start rolling out the orange barrels at 10 p.m. on Friday night, December 12th.

The Jackson and Van Buren exit for I-794 East will be shut down long-term. That means drivers are going to have to find different routes to get to their favorite Milwaukee hot spots.

"This massive project the Hoan Bridge construction project has reached the halfway point and we're ready to commence stage two and with that, we're going to be having a traffic switch this Friday night into Saturday which is going to have some new impacts for downtown," said Ryan Luck, with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

It's not just the Jackson/Van Buren exit that's going to be impacted either.

"We have completed eastbound and southbound new bridges and rehabilitated the steel and repainted it and so we're going to be moving traffic onto those new roadways the first phase of that will be this weekend," said Luck.

There are several other routes you can use to get to your destination -- but a smooth ride might require a little pre-planning before you head out the door.

"Those viewers that haven't heard about this information are probably going to get caught in some congestion early next week. And we'd just consider again using those alternate routes adding a little extra time early next week if you're coming into downtown," said Luck.

You may be sick of construction slowdowns, but as one family reminded us, 'bad traffic' is really a relative term.

"We lived in Chicago for four years so we've seen traffic. We're not worried about this, this is not high on our worry list," said Jacob Weiler.

If you're looking for information about alternative routes, CLICK HERE.