Feds Approve Interstate 94 Expansion

Interstate 94 freeway at N. 16th St. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

The proposal to expand Interstate 94 to four lanes in each direction won an essential federal approval Friday.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) signed a “record of decision” that approves the Wisconsin Department of Transportation‘s (WisDOT) plans to expand the roadway.

The FHWA action closes the environmental impact study process. But it could trigger a lawsuit.

In November 2022, WisDOT announced it was sticking with its earlier proposal to expand the 3.5-mile corridor to eight lanes after studying a six-lane rebuild option. The corridor stretches N. 16th Street to N. 70th Street.

Construction on the $1.2 billion project could begin in 2025. Much of the construction cost would be paid for by the federal government, though opponents have cited the long-term costs that would be borne locally in terms of pollution and perceived disparate racial impacts.

The project was initially shelved in 2017 for lack of funding, but Governor Tony Evers resurrected the project in 2020 and attempted to fast-track federal reapproval of a 2016 plan. In April 2021, state officials agreed to conduct a supplemental study to examine other options or traffic pattern changes. A community group proposed a “Fix at Six” strategy that included rebuilding the roadway with safety improvements, but not adding lanes.

WisDOT studied a six-lane configuration, but concluded it would cost approximately the same amount in large part because the total width of the freeway corridor and the design of the Stadium Interchange were nearly identical under both study options. But the resulting study did yield a radically different Stadium Interchange.

The diverging diamond concept would involve the north-south roadways through the interchange running underneath the elevated east-west freeway. Controlled by stop lights, traffic would briefly drive on what would be considered the “wrong side of the road.” The design strategy results in fewer collision points than a traditional interchange because on-off ramp access doesn’t involve crossing lanes. WisDOT has recently used the design strategy at other interchanges.

The proposed interchange would also eliminate a key source of backups: left-hand exits and on-ramps. Rebuilds of the Marquette and Zoo interchanges have also pushed all merging and exiting to the right-hand side.

The FHWA-approved supplemental study anticipates the final project would cost $1.2 billion in 2021 dollars. The six-lane option would cost $1.13 billion.

The final design proposed in the study requires the acquisition of 49 acres of land and the displacement of six businesses and one home. The six-lane option would have required one less acre of land. The study says the number of commercial and residential displacements was reduced from 11 and eight, respectively, as a result of design refinements. A number of changes were made to the proposed ramp reconfigurations in the 2016 plan to reduce project costs and displacement. The N. Hawley Rd., N. 35th St. and N. 25th/27th St. ramps would still see new configurations.

WisDOT said it would invest $25 million in “transit solutions” during the construction process to mitigate the impact. County officials have hoped to use some of the funding to support the development of the 27th Street bus rapid transit line. The project plan also calls for improved bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure near the freeway.

A study is still underway on converting a portion of Wisconsin Highway 175 to the north to a boulevard. A coalition is also advocating for converting a portion of Interstate 794 to a boulevard.

The FHWA decision might not be the end of project opposition. It could be the trigger for a lawsuit from project opponents, many of whom were part of a coalition that reached a settlement following the Zoo Interchange record of decision. That settlement resulted in $13.5 million in funding used for temporary bus routes to connect central city residents with suburban jobs.

Fix at Six advocates have already indicated its an option they could pursue.

“Because the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) will not be publicly available until next week, we do not know the details of the project beyond what WISDOT included in its press release. After analysis of the FEIS, we will be considering our options. We remain opposed to expansion of massive highway infrastructure, and we are committed to pushing for a thorough civil rights investigation,” said Sierra Club – Wisconsin campaign coordinator Cassie Steiner in a statement. “Expanding this segment of highway will increase greenhouse gas emissions, cost taxpayers more than a billion dollars, increase air and water pollution especially for neighboring communities, and will almost certainly make congestion worse and car crashes deadlier.”

The completed study, formally the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement, is available on WisDOT’s website.