PORT WASHINGTON, Wis. — A road that has been closed for nearly five months in Port Washington is set to reopen Monday, bringing relief to residents who have been detouring around a massive data center construction project.
Highway LL closed to allow crews to expand water and sewage lines to a $15 billion data center complex being developed by Vantage Data Centers. The road makes up some of the eastern border of the construction site.
Watch: Port Washington neighbors excited for reopening of County Highway LL after months of data center work
The infrastructure work — valued at roughly $175 million — comes at an essentially net-zero cost to the city. The developer is paying for the improvements up front and will be reimbursed through its own property taxes via a tax increment financing district.
Travis Payne, who works at a nearby restaurant and has lived in Port Washington his entire life, said the reopening is welcome news.
"That will alleviate some traffic problems, definitely," Payne said.
TMJ4 has been speaking with neighbors like Travis since the road first closed in October.
City Engineer Roger Strohm, who is overseeing the infrastructure work, acknowledged the burden the projects have placed on the community.
"My biggest message would be we are aware that we are creating problems for people with these projects," Strohm said. "(We'll) do what we can to get them done all the way... If you have questions, give us a call, and we'll answer them to the best of our abilities."
Highway LL will be resurfaced in the coming months, but it is just the first of several planned infrastructure projects tied to the development. County Highway KW, which comprises the western border of the data center campus, is slated for similar improvements this summer.
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