Construction Starting On $1.7 Billion Interstate 94 Widening

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

Years of construction delays are about to begin for thousands of Milwaukee motorists.

Governor Tony Evers announced Wednesday that construction on the Interstate 94 widening project is scheduled to start on Oct. 27. Major impacts will occur beginning Nov. 3.

Work on the $1.74 billion project will begin on the “West Leg Segment,” which stretches from Zablocki Drive, just west of American Family Field, to N. 70th Street.

The larger 3.5-mile project calls for rebuilding the aging freeway between N. 16th and N. 70th streets and a complete replacement of the Stadium Interchange. The six-lane roadway will be expanded to eight lanes as part of the project.

Construction is expected to last through 2033.

Wednesday’s Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) announcement says that the initial work area is a $121 million project with Zignego Company serving as the prime contractor. In addition to widening the roadway, the West Leg Segment will include replacing the Hawley Interchange with a “half interchange,” eliminating ramps to and from the east, and reconstructing the 68th/70th Street Interchange.

Several notable closures are expected to begin the week of Nov. 3. Planned “long-term” closures include one lane in each direction in the segment, the Hawley Road Interchange, the southbound Wisconsin Highway 175 (WIS 175) ramp to westbound I-94 and the 68th Street ramp to eastbound I-94. The ramp from southbound WIS 175 to Frederick Miller Way, a primary ballpark offramp, will also close for 30 days.

The closures won’t affect baseball fans this season. If the Milwaukee Brewers make the 2025 World Series, the last possible game would be Nov. 1.

But work on the western leg is scheduled to continue through 2028.

Work on the eastern segment isn’t scheduled until 2028, though an “Early East Leg” project near 27th Street is planned for this year. The Stadium Interchange will be the last component to be rebuilt, with construction starting in 2029.

Construction work has already been occurring on W. National Avenue west of Miller Park Way. The street is expected to see additional traffic during the project.

The corridor carries 158,000 to 178,000 vehicles daily. Built in the early 1960s, it includes 43 bridges.

More information on construction timing is available on WisDOT’s I-94 East-West project website.

Existing members must be signed in to see the interactive map. Sign in.