PORT WASHINGTON, Wis. — Construction started Monday on utility work for the upcoming $8 billion AI data center campus near Port Washington, temporarily closing a local county highway and creating detours for nearby neighbors.
The closure is the first of multiple planned shutdowns along Highway LL through the rest of the year, according to the Ozaukee County Highway Department. A small stretch of LL near High Point Beach Lane and the underpass under I-43 is expected to be closed for roughly two weeks.
The construction represents the first visible sign of the $8 billion data center project that has divided the community over the project's economic benefits to the area against lingering environmental concerns.
Pete Zak uses Highway LL to travel from his Belgium-area home to Port Washington for shopping.
"If you're doing a straight shot anywhere, 43, but sometimes you're going to take the side roads to get wherever," Zak said. "It's a double-edged sword. If you want to have technology and the data and all of it, you need these places."
Local construction workers involved in the project expressed excitement about job opportunities and economic benefits the data center will bring to area businesses.
Watch: Neighbors detour after Port Washington data center utility work temporarily closes part of County Highway LL
"We're right on the lake, so it's just a bit more of an inconvenience to get to and from, even to get to 43," said Jim Escalante, who lives just off Highway LL north of the closure. "Going out of the way adds just a couple more miles to the trip," Escalante said.
Additional closures along Highway LL are planned throughout the remainder of the year as utility infrastructure installation continues.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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