Evers approves $57.6M to reconstruct, rehabilitate bridges along I-43 in Milwaukee

By: CBS 58 Newsroom

Posted: Jun 7, 2021 5:16 PM CDT

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- To invest in Wisconsin's transportation system, Governor Evers announced Monday, June 7, he signed a $57.6 million contract to reconstruct and rehabilitate bridges and roadway sections along I-43, from Capitol Drive to just north of Hampton Avenue.

Work is scheduled to begin the week of June 14.

Zenith Tech, Inc., is the prime contractor for the project and will implement the following:

Project Improvements

Removing the 1,500-foot mainline bridge over an abandoned railroad yard and replacing it with an embankment section roadway.
Rehabilitating or replacing various mainline and entrance/exit ramp bridges.
Implementing auxiliary lanes between Capitol Drive and Hampton Avenue. This operational improvement enhances the safety of ingress and egress traffic movements between interchanges.
Consolidating Hampton Avenue traffic to an improved freeway exit ramp just south of Hampton Avenue.
Replacing an existing noise wall on the west side of I-43 south of the Milwaukee River, and constructing two new noise walls north of Capitol Drive on both sides of I-43.
Installing a new connection to the Beerline Trail multi-use trail.

What to Expect This Year

This stretch of I-43 between Capitol Drive and Hampton Avenue averages 128,950 vehicles a day. To safely construct the project while maximizing traffic flow, WisDOT plans to incorporate the following traffic control measures this year:

When work begins in mid-June, the I-43 northbound exit ramp to westbound Hampton Avenue will close and be permanently removed.
This summer, I-43 southbound entrance ramp from Hampton Avenue to close long-term.
This summer, various alternating ramp closures near Capitol Drive will begin.
This fall, I-43 northbound, from just south of Glendale Avenue to Bender Road, will have a two-lane configuration until late in the year. I-43 southbound remains in its three-lane configuration.

Construction is scheduled for completion by the end of 2023. The schedule is dependent on favorable weather conditions and construction progress.

Learn more HERE.