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Heavier trucks detoured from Zoo Interchange

MILWAUKEE -- Trucks carrying heavy loads will be detoured away from several ramps in the Zoo Interchange because of deterioration in the structures, the state Department of Transportation announced Tuesday.

The ramp from northbound I-894/45 to northbound 45 in the main interchange will be restricted to 60,000 pounds, southbound Highway 45 to eastbound I-94 will be restricted to 70,000 pounds and northbound I-894/45 to westbound I-94 will be restricted to 80,000 pounds.

Recent investigations uncovered more deterioration of the ramps in the interchange, which is the state’s busiest, handling more than 350,000 vehicles a day. The DOT has been preparing plans for a reconstruction to begin in 2012, but the start of the work has been pushed back for several years because of the state’s fiscal difficulties and the projected cost of the project -- more than $2.31 billion for the most expensive alternative.

The interchange provides a connection for trucks carrying goods from the south to the Fox Valley and western Wisconsin, and for products being transported out of the state to Chicago and other markets.

DOT Secretary Frank Busalacchi said recent investigations uncovered advanced deterioration in the ramps of the interchange, which was built in 1963.

"Our first priority is safety," Busalacchi said. "These ramps will continue to safely handle traffic in the busy interchange. By restricting heavy loads, we decrease wear and tear on the bridges and preserve the integrity of the structures until they can be rehabilitated or replaced."

When that will happen is unclear, given the reduced funding for the engineering and design work. The budget provides $20 million for the work over then next two years, about one-tenth of what the DOT had requested.

By contrast, the 2007-’09 budget provided $240 million for engineering and design on the I-94 reconstruction from the Mitchell Interchange to the state line. That work began earlier this year. The the work on the Zoo Interchange had been slated to follow the Mitchell project.