MILWAUKEE — The largest and most expensive road construction project in Wisconsin history will be done early and under budget.
Gov. Jim Doyle said Tuesday all lanes and ramps on the Marquette Interchange in downtown Milwaukee will open by the end of August, months earlier than the original December end date.
The massive project, near Marquette University, has snarled traffic and rerouted drivers since 2004. Workers replaced the entire interchange, which carries 300,000 vehicles a day to Interstates 43, 94 and 794.
The total bill will be under the estimated $810 million, although an exact figure hadn’t been worked out yet. Doyle said the savings would be in the millions.
“This is a safer design, it’s a better-looking design,” Doyle said. “This is really the best transportation project we’ve done.”
Doyle said it was rare for a government project to be done early and under budget. The interchange, designed by federal officials, will be simplified and will move faster, he said.
Among the improvements:
—Two lane ramps in both directions between I-94 and I-43
—More gradual curves on ramps
—More distance between ramps to eliminate conflicts from lane changes
—Elimination of all left-hand entrances and exits
Department of Transportation's Frank Busalacchi said 50 to 55 percent of the money for the project came from federal money and the rest from the state.
He said any leftover funds will go toward other road projects, like an even more expensive lane expansion of I-94 from Milwaukee to the Illinois border. He said that will increase the six lanes in that stretch on both sides to eight. Construction is scheduled to start in the spring and cost $1.9 billion.
The project ended early due to streamlined communications between everyone involved, Busalacchi said. Everyone on the project was involved in planning meetings, which helped eliminate “turf battles,” he said.