page_title: Zoo Interchange
section_title: Interchange rebuild proposal, 2003–2008
hierarchical_section_title: Zoo Interchange / History / Interchange rebuild proposal, 2003–2008
caption_attribution_description: English: Zoo Interchange at the western terminus of Interstate 894 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
context_page_description: The Zoo Interchange is a freeway interchange on the west side of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It forms the junction of Interstate 94, I-894, I-41, US Highway 41 and US 45. It is the busiest and one of the oldest interchanges in the state. It is nicknamed as such because of the Milwaukee County Zoo located on the northwest quadrant of the interchange. The control cities at the interchange are Downtown Milwaukee to the east, Chicago to the south, Madison to the west and Fond du Lac to the north.
  Originally completed in 1963, the interchange was a major component in the freeway system being developed in Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin and formed an important link with the Interstate system. It was considered a wonder of engineering at the time. The design included exits on both the left and right sides of the roadways, and drivers exited depending which side their destination road was on. Owing to the dangers of this design and the deterioration of the interchange, a reconstruction was considered in the early 2000s. Plans set reconstruction in 2015, but it was advanced by Governor Jim Doyle to 2012, then delayed due to lack of available funding.
context_section_description: By 2003, the freeways in Milwaukee and the greater southeastern Wisconsin area were approaching the end of their useful life. Traffic congestion on the freeways had greatly increased. Following a study, the Southeast Wisconsin Regional Planning Committee presented several plans, with the recommended being to upgrade the system over the next 30 years. A key feature of the plan was to widen mainline freeways to include more lanes. This would reduce the congestion problem. The plan also included numerous improvements for interchanges, including the Zoo Interchange. The directional interchange style had become deprecated due to safety concerns and a lack of efficiency caused by vehicles that had to move across the highway in both directions. The plan therefore called for all exits to be relocated to the right side. It also suggested reducing lane endings at interchanges and reconfiguring ramps to allow for travel at a higher speed. WisDOT originally planned to begin working on the Zoo Interchange after a rebuild of I-94 from Milwaukee to the state line had been completed. This was estimated to be in 2015. However in 2006, Governor Jim Doyle announced a new plan to begin construction in 2012. Doyle stated that advancing the project would benefit the economy of the region and create new jobs. The new timeline called for an environmental and engineering study to occur from 2007 to 2008 and final design development and land acquisition to occur from 2009 to 2011. Doyle asked for $28 million (equivalent to $33.4 million in 2018) in the 2007-2008 budget to begin this process. The original estimate for the cost was $1.1 billion (equivalent to $1.31 billion in 2018), although it was expected to go up to $2.6 billion (equivalent to $3.1 billion in 2018). Residents worried that the advancement of the work would also advance a proposed plan to widen the freeway between the Zoo and Marquette interchanges, which was opposed by the neighborhoods that would be encroached upon. The advanced timeline of the Zoo Interchange was not expected to have an effect on other projects that it would now be happening concurrently with, including the rebuilding of the Marquette Interchange and the rebuild of I-94.
caption: Zoo Interchange at the western terminus of I-894 in 2008, looking north
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