I-43 project to begin soon, last for years

Construction is about to become a way of life for Ozaukee County residents as the Department of Transportation begins its I-43 expansion project this fall.

The project, which will continue through 2024, will widen the 14-mile stretch of I-43 from Highway 60 in Grafton to Silver Spring Road in Milwaukee County from four lanes to six lanes, improve five interchanges and create a new interchange at Highland Road in Mequon.

Construction will begin this fall with preparation work being done from roughly Highland Road to Highway 60, Project Manager Steve Hoff said last week during an informational Zoom meeting.

That work will include constructing temporary lanes in the shoulders, allowing traffic flow throughout construction, he said.

Doing this work in fall means “we can jump in early in 2022 (with construction),” Hoff said, noting this is when “we’re really getting into construction.”

“We’re going to be able to keep it at two (12-foot) lanes throughout much of construction,” he said of the interstate, although there will be lane closures during the day to accommodate the shoulder work. “We understand you still need access to the corridor.”

The reconstruction of the County Line Road interchange in Milwaukee County will also begin this fall.

Next year, construction of the freeway from Highland Road north will begin in earnest with new inside northbound lanes and the Highland Road interchange built. 

Highland Road will likely be closed from January through August, Hoff said.

In 2023, work from Highland Road north will continue with construction of the southbound and the outside northbound lanes, and the Highway C bridge will be improved. 

Work on the Mequon Road segment of the project will also begin in 2023 and continue into 2024, as will the southern segment of the project from Highland Road to Port Washington Road in Glendale.

The Mequon Road bridge will also be improved in 2024.

Hoff said 2023 “will be the most intense year” of construction with work along virtually the entire project area.

Speed limits will be reduced throughout construction, he added.

Officials say the widening project is needed to increase safety and reduce congestion in the North Shore suburbs.

Traffic volume prior to the pandemic reached 84,000 a day, and it is expected to increase to more than 100,000 vehicles in 20 years, according to the DOT.

About 40% of the corridor has crash rates that exceed the statewide average for similar roadways, according to a 2014 Transportation Planning Commission report.