 The
Marquette Interchange Project has completed its first year on
schedule, but according to Brian Manthey, communications officer of
the interchange project for the Wisconsin Department of
Transportation, this is the time when the challenges start to crop up.
Until recently, much of the interchange work has been done to prepare
for the core of the project. Now, the real test will begin.
The estimated $810 million
reconstruction of the interchange is the most expensive public works
project in state history. And it’s a long project, too. Planning for
the new interchange started in 2000, construction began last year and
the entire project is expected to be finished in fall 2008.
So far, everything is going according
to plan and the budget is staying on track. "The top goal is
safety," Manthey says. "The more people are aware of what’s
going on in the interchange, the better off everyone is going to be.
It’s critical that everyone knows what’s going on and they don’t
have surprises that come up."
Online interchange
One way organizers are making sure of
this is through the project’s Web site, www.mchange.org, which is
updated on a regular basis. Manthey says it’s the best place to get
the latest information on the project or to find a route to get
through downtown. "It takes into account the project’s
schedule," Manthey says. "It’s very important, not only to
commuters, but to those who don’t come downtown as often."
Manthey says the Web site is designed
to give people as much information as possible so they still feel
comfortable navigating through the interchange. "You don’t want
to have people who are afraid of going downtown," he says.
"We want to have all these venues and businesses downtown
thriving."
A better design
Mayor Tom Barrett has seen the plans
for the new interchange, and says the new designs are a big
improvement. "The problems that have been problems since its
inception can now be corrected," Barrett says. "It’s going
to clearly modernize the transportation process through a major
intersection of the state."
He also sees the project as a benefit
to Milwaukeeans economically. "The construction phase will
hopefully mean more jobs for people in the Milwaukee area,"
Barrett says. "We want to keep this in the community as much as
possible.
Barrett uses the interchange a lot
himself and says he is pleasantly surprised at how smoothly the
project has been going so far. His best advice to others is to pay
attention. "I think people should essentially watch the news and
watch the reports so they can adapt their travel time and routes to
avoid problems," he says.
Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker
says the new interchange is important for transportation and economics
for people all across the state. He suggests one way to avoid the
construction is to take the freeway flyer routes, offered by the
Milwaukee County Transit System. Routes are located throughout the
county and can be found at www.ridemcts.com.
Don Reinbold is the Wisconsin
Department of Transportation’s director for the interchange. He says
the project is long, but it will be worth it in the end. "People
can expect a much more efficient freeway, which is much easier to
drive through and much safer," he says. "I think this is a
very interesting and challenging project, and I’m proud to be part
of it."
The Marquette Interchange will occupy
the same amount of space as before, but several new design elements
are being added. Some of the new features will include: two-lane ramps
in both directions between I-94 and I-43; more graduate curves on
ramps, with longer sight distances; more distance between ramps to
eliminate traffic conflicts from lane changes; and elimination of all
left-hand entrances and exits.
Interchange history
According to www.mchange.org, the
Marquette Interchange was originally called the Central Interchange.
The idea was proposed in 1952 for an area south and east of Marquette
University.
In 1955, the Milwaukee County Board
adopted a plan to build expressways throughout Milwaukee County, which
included plans for a downtown interchange. While Milwaukee was
planning new expressways, other cities across the country were doing
the same. The following year, the Federal Highway Act of 1956 was
adopted, which helped create today’s interstate highway system.
The current flow of traffic through the
interchange is holding steady at 300,000 cars a day, which is far more
than the interchange was designed to hold. The new interchange is a
75-year design, meaning it should be able to accommodate expansions or
other changes needed without having to rebuild for the next 75 years.
The project’s future
According to Manthey, some of the major
upcoming events for the interchange project include:
• June: Wells Street Bridge returns
• January 2006: Demolition of
Wisconsin Avenue Bridge scheduled
• April 2006: All I-43 traffic on
southbound lanes only
• May 2006-December 2006: Traffic
crossover on interstates
94 and 794; only two lanes in each in
each direction
• November 2006: Wisconsin Avenue
Bridge returns
"Our goal is to keep Milwaukee
open for business and share information with everyone as best as
possible to help people find the best way to get downtown,"
Reinbold says. "When it’s all said and done, I think it will be
a much better freeway."
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