MILWAUKEE — Even though it’s the dead of winter, construction crews along I-41 are still pushing through to prepare the roadway for the next phase of the north leg of the Zoo Interchange project.
"If we had to wait until it got nice to do this work, we really would be pushed back months," said Michael Pyritz with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
Pyritz said 2022 is shaping up to be a major construction year for that area. There will be two 54-hour freeway closures from Watertown Plank Road to Burleigh Street, and a new traffic pattern will be put in place as the northbound lanes will be shifted onto the southbound side. There will also be a 9-month closure of the I-41 North exit to Mayfair Road.
"Motorist have seen this and been through this before. The first few weeks after we do the shift we do expect to see substantial delays," said Pyritz.
Although these projects are months away, Pyritz said it's always something to keep on your radar.
"By 2023 we will have beautiful new lanes, valuable, so when we move traffic over there you’re going to have smooth and a well-maintained roadway," said Pyritz.
Here are the anticipated projects and closures, according to WisDOT:
- Two 54-hour full freeway closures of I-41 North/South from Watertown Plank Road to Burleigh Street (expected Summer and Fall 2022)
- Three-week closure of I-41 North exit ramp to Burleigh Street Full closure and reconstruction of North Avenue, at I-41, from Spring 2022 through late Summer 2022
- Approximately 9-month closure and reconstruction of the I-41 North exit to Mayfair
- Road Reduction of WIS 100 to two lanes in each direction, with several overnight full closures for construction of the new I-41 North bridge over WIS 100 throughout the year.
- One full weekend closure of WIS 100, from Walnut Avenue to North Avenue, for storm sewer work.
- Six-week lane closure on I-41 North from Watertown Plank Road (including Watertown Plank Road entrance ramps to I-41 North) to Burleigh Street in Spring 2022
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