night road construction on i39 at madison

NIGHT ROAD CONSTRUCTION ON I39 AT MADISON UPDATE

There's no question about that,' she said. Hiniker pointed out that higher gas prices in recent years, coupled with the recession, have held down the miles driven by motorists.īut Cari Anne Renlund, executive assistant at the state Department of Transportation, said that the possible expansion projects also meet needs such as safety concerns. 'Given the resources that we have, we can't afford it, plain and simple.' 'There's a greater need to repair bridges and existing roads that we have,' said Steve Hiniker, executive director of the environmental group 1,000 Friends of Wisconsin. One critic said that the state would do better to focus those resources on current highways and infrastructure, such as the deteriorating surface of the Hoan Bridge, and not expand roads further. But state highway and other infrastructure projects do compete with each other for limited state and federal transportation dollars. State officials have emphasized that the proposed project would not interfere with the Zoo Interchange because projects in southeastern Wisconsin are funded from a separate account within the state transportation fund. In the budget approved last year, lawmakers set funding levels that would open a spot on the road construction schedule for the project in 2015 or 2016. The commission by law can recommend only projects that could start within five years, and for years no project fit that bill because the schedule for major road work has been longer than that. The commission's decisions will still have to be confirmed by the next governor and Legislature as part of the next state budget. 'That's going to be great for Rock County and the rest of the state.'ĭoyle administration officials said the Democratic governor would call the commission meeting sometime between Sept. 'I think the governor really appreciates the significance of the project and the importance for the state,' said Sheridan, who controls several of the appointments to the commission. The interstate expansion, likely to cost at least $1 billion, is being pushed by Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan (D-Janesville) as a way to speed the flow of both commerce and tourism into Wisconsin. 'This is a major entryway to the state of Wisconsin and it's a road that is very important to the state economy,' Doyle spokesman Adam Collins said of I-39/90, though he stopped short of saying Doyle supported the expansion.

NIGHT ROAD CONSTRUCTION ON I39 AT MADISON UPDATE

The commission is also likely to consider several other projects that could include an update to State Highway 38 between Racine and Oak Creek. It would mark the first time in Doyle's nearly eight years as governor that the Transportation Projects Commission has met to consider a new highway project. Jim Doyle is calling for a state commission to consider the massive project of adding one lane in both directions to I-39/90 from the Illinois border to Madison.

Night road construction on i39 at madison