EAST TROY, Wis. — WisDOT will reconstruct Interstate 43 between Mukwonago and the Town of Troy between spring 2027 and spring 2029. The early work is underway and people near the highway are planning for what comes next.
WisDOT will start intermittently closing ramps to I-43 between Highway 83 and Bowers Road this week so it can expand the road for its major reconstruction.
"Drivers can expect overnight lane and ramp closures while crews construct emergency pullouts, build temporary shoulders, and complete ramp-widening improvements," Chris Verhyen of WisDOT explained in an email to TMJ4. "These improvements will help maintain traffic flow and increase work zone safety during future construction phases."
The northbound I-43/Bowers Road on-ramp will close Wednesday, the northbound I-43/Highway 120 on-ramp will close Thursday, and the northbound I-43/Highway 20 ramp will close Friday. Verhyen said the early work should finish next month.
This work is happening while WisDOT is reconstructing I-43 between Mukwonago and New Berlin, a project slated to last until summer 2028.
"I have not driven on I-43 since the road work," said John Berte, a Mukwonago resident who was visiting East Troy when TMJ4 talked to him. "My advice: hurry up and wait. You aren't going to get there any quicker."
Char Behm owns the downtown East Troy café 2894 on Main. She hopes the temporary pain of the road work will lead to more travelers discovering downtown if they detour on County Road ES.
"We're going to have a lot more traffic coming through here," Behm said. "It will be good to have those people come into town and try us out for the first time. Maybe they've tried before and forget about us since we're not right on the highway."
The Interstate 43 roadwork will continue further south through Walworth County next year. WisDOT's third phase is reconstructing I-43 between Bowers Road and the US 12 interchange in Elkhorn. That phase will begin in fall 2027 and is slated to end in fall 2029.
"The I-43 Rock Freeway is a critical interstate, upwards of 50,000 vehicles use it each day," Verhyen said in his e-mail to TMJ4. "This project will improve ride quality, enhance safety, and extend the life of critical infrastructure along this corridor."
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