Alders and business owners call out WisDOT for additional planned construction at 35th & National

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Two Milwaukee alders and several business owners are taking aim at WisDOT for planning more construction that is set to begin next week.

Starting Tuesday, May 26, part of the intersection at 35^th and National will be shut down for months, impacting the 35^th Street viaduct.

Next week northbound traffic onto the viaduct will be blocked off.

Eddie Perez works at a store nearby. He told us, "With the construction, it's been lowered at least 25% of the business have went down."

Perez's liquor store is already taking a big hit. With a giant hole out front on National and no parking allowed on 35^th, customers are not coming by.

"We lost quite a bit," Perez said. "It's dead right now. We've never been like this."

Jose Lozoya Jr. estimates he's lost 50% of his business at a store and a restaurant he owns.

Lozoya said, "I mean it’s bad enough already but imagine being right here where there’s hardly any parking as it is.”

Eastbound lanes on National are shut down for repairs that will last months.

And, "It's going to get even worse next week, Tuesday," said Alder Peter Burgelis.

Soon drivers will not be able to go north through the intersection onto the 35^th Street viaduct, limiting yet another access point across the Menomonee Valley.

Most acknowledge the repairs are needed.

According to Burgelis, there are more than $60 million in road construction projects in Milwaukee so far this year. Two-thirds of it comes from state and federal aid, including National.

Burgelis said, "We're grateful for the projects but we're not grateful for the lack of coordination and collaboration."

City leaders say there is little to no communication from WisDOT about when and how projects will be carried out.

Alder JoCasta Zamarripa said, "I don't think that DOT is doing sufficient work in making sure to notify our constituents ahead of time."

At a committee meeting earlier Wednesday, city engineer Kevin Muhs said it was difficult to keep a lane open through the intersection. "There is not quite enough room to safely allow the various movements to occur in the intersection."

But Muhs said the department would look into it.

In the meantime, businesses have closed in the past due to construction impacts.

Perez said, "It's hurting all of us. All of us are being hurt by this construction."

And many are worried about losing more.

Zamarripa said, “These folks have already reached out to me multiple times to let me know they don't know if they're going to make it through this construction phase."

Perez said his store is hoping to make it until the summer, when they will decide whether they have to cut staff.

The construction is expected to last until early July.