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Will Milwaukee's Zoo Interchange cost $1 billion?

By Erin Gretzinger
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YES

According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation's 2022 status report, the Zoo Interstate project has cost about $1.4 billion already, with a projected final cost of about $1.54 billion. The Zoo Interchange, the intersection of interstates I-94 and I-894 and U.S. Highway 45 in Milwaukee, is the state's oldest and busiest interchange. 

Approved in 2012, the project has received backlash for its high price tag and multi-year delays. The project's goal is to address the freeway's deteriorated condition, its current and future capacity, and its high crash rate.

It entails reconstruction of nine miles of interstate highway including the Zoo Interchange, several arterial roads adjacent to the interchange and about two miles of auxiliary lanes leading up to it. 

The Zoo Interchange project is a part of the state's Southeast Freeways Megaprojects.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Wisconsin Department of Transportation Major/Southeast Megaproject Status Report
WIsconsin Department of Transportation Zoo Interchange | Record of Decision
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Scott Walker declares Zoo Interchange is done, even as years of work remain
Politico Overpasses: A love story
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Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.