Study Scope

The proposed study was described in a SEWRPC Staff Memorandum entitled, "Scope of Work - A Regional Freeway System Reconstruction Study for Southeastern Wisconsin" (PDF), which is available for review in the "Study Newsletters, Reports, and Meetings" section of this website.

The Freeway Reconstruction Study was a system-wide evaluation of freeways in the seven county Southeastern Wisconsin Region. The study included analysis of the freeway system both as a whole and segment-by-segment. The need for reconstruction, and necessary timing, were evaluated for each freeway segment. The study also reviewed the amount and type of travel carried by each segment of freeway. Deficiencies of the freeway system and each segment were investigated in terms of:

• physical design deficiencies
• traffic safety problems
• existing and future traffic congestion

Alternatives for rebuilding the freeway system were considered, and the resulting plan recommends how each freeway segment should be rebuilt. The study also considered the expected freeway traffic impacts of a new freeway segment connecting IH 43 and USH 45.

Freeway deficiencies that could be corrected with redesign include lane drops, substandard entrance and exit lane lengths, inadequate shoulders and side clearances, and difficult curves and grade changes.

Examples of short freeways segments recently reconstructed with various improvements include IH 43 in the vicinity of Silver Spring Road in Milwaukee County, and IH 94 between STH 16 and CTH J in Waukesha County.

Also, under the study, a program to implement the planned reconstruction of the freeway system was prepared, which outlined a potential schedule for freeway system reconstruction by five year periods.