GRAND CHUTE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – A years-long interstate expansion project is now underway in northeast Wisconsin.
Over the next six years, work along Interstate 41 will change the landscape of travel between Green Bay and the Fox Cities.
With heavy machinery, crews began working to demolish the Capitol Drive overpass Monday.
It’s just one part of the I-41 expansion project.
The work will transform I-41 from four lanes to six from Wisconsin Avenue in Grand Chute to Scheuring Road in De Pere.
The Wisconsin Dept. of Transportation says more than 75-thousand vehicles travel on I-41 in the greater Appleton area alone each day.
Dave Stedman, a frequent traveler on the interstate, agrees the construction may make for a travel headache, but will be worth it in the end.
“It’s kind of a, you know, kind of a death trap at times and it’s congested a lot and an extra lane would be very helpful and no matter how it takes I think the benefits in the end would be you know, really serve the community well,” said Stedman.
Monday’s work on the overpass is expected to be complete in August.
The DOT says the Capitol Drive overpass needs to be rebuilt to make more room for when additional lanes are built for I-41.
“There are piers right on the shoulders of the roadway and so with the expansion of 41 underneath, we need a little bit more room under there,” said Kurt Peters, WisDOT Project Development Chief.
Work may already be underway, but the entire expansion project isn’t expected to wrap up until 2030.
With lane closures expected, drivers traveling on I-41 are urged to have patience.
“We really need drivers to focus on their driving, reduce distractions in their vehicles, slow down, pay attention to their surroundings and the vehicles ahead of them, to just make it safe for not only motorists but the workers and everybody involved,” said Peters.
“Five, ten, fifteen miles an hour over to try to get through a construction zone isn’t going to get you there any much faster it’s going to put construction workers in danger and it’s going to put you in danger and other drivers in danger,” said Stedman.
Construction on I-41 itself is scheduled to begin next year.
As crews work to demolish the Capitol Bridge overpass, there will be intermittent closures on 41 this week.
The interstate will close in both directions between Wisconsin Avenue and Richmond Street.
That will be from 11:30 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday.
The same stretch will be closed from 11:30 p.m. Friday night to 6 Saturday morning.
SB I-41: Take WIS 47/Richmond Street south to WIS 96/Wisconsin Avenue. Turn right and head west to SB I-41
NB I-41: Take WIS 96/Wisconsin Avenue east to WIS 47/Richmond Street. Turn left and head north to NB I-41
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