Great news for Milwaukee drivers just in time for the Thanksgiving weekend: Phase 1 of the Lakefront Gateway Project is now complete, and it’s time to say farewell to the maze of orange cones!
Heather Sackman, Project Manager with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, says the 11-month long project focused on relocating the freeway on and off-ramps from I-794 to Lincoln Memorial Drive.
"We're happy to open up here at the end of November…All traffic movements are now open," said Sackman.
It was all done to open up a piece of land on the lakefront for future development.
"So the project was around $34 million…And we just have a few finishing items to complete and some landscaping next spring," said Sackman.
The reconfiguration of the off ramps extends the Lincoln Memorial Drive from Clybourn Street to Chicago Avenue; a move that Sackman says will make traffic much smoother for travel, especially for Summerfest next year.
"Summerfest now has these on and off-ramps right to their front gate," said Sackman.
Work remains underway for the City of Milwaukee’s portion of the project.
