Traffic runs into and out of the northern leg of the Zoo Interchange in Milwaukee County on a recent weekday afternoon. Wisconsin Department of Transportation traffic counts show an average of 156,000 vehicles travel through this portion of the interchange daily.
Work related to the $1.3 billion reconstruction and expansion of the core of the interchange wrapped up recently. However, there is more work to be done. The DOT’s budget proposal requests another $175 million toward finishing work on the northern section of the interchange.
If the funding is approved, construction activity could begin by late summer 2020. The remaining work includes adding lanes to the freeway in each direction between North Swan Boulevard and West Burleigh Street, as well as rebuilding the interchanges with West North Avenue and West Burleigh Street.
The interchange was first built in the 1960s and has reached the end of its useful life, according to the DOT.
