Author: Sam Buisman

Wisconsin will seek federal approval to resume its expansion of I-94 in Milwaukee County.

According to a press release from Governor Tony Evers, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation will appeal to the federal government to rebuild a roughly 4-mile stretch of I-94's East-West corridor near Milwualkee to ease traffic and safety concerns on one of Wisconsin's busiest roads. According to Channel3000, Evers is restarting this project after it was halted by former Governor Scott Walker in 2017 over price concerns.

Discussing the project in a press release, Evers promised it to be an immediate and long-term boon to Wisconsin's economy and public safety.

“Investing in our infrastructure is critically important for our economy,” Gov. Evers said. “Moving forward on the I-94 East-West corridor project will mean between 6,000 and 10,000 good jobs and will ultimately save lives, reduce travel times, and help businesses across our state.”

According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, while almost half of Wisconsin's exports travel out of the state through on I-94, its almost 60-year-old design cannot handle such heavy traffic. This is in part why crashes on I-94 are two and a half times more frequent than on similar Wisconsin highways.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation stated that it will review the original 2015 plans for this project before beginning construction to ensure that they optimize safety and travel time.

At press time, there are no details on when construction is expected to begin nor a projected end date.