Here are the changes coming to 6th Street as part of a $36 million federal project
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- One of Milwaukee's most important north-south streets is getting rebuilt with federal dollars. President Joe Biden traveled to Milwaukee Wednesday to announce a $3.3 billion program for more than 100 infrastructure projects across the country, including the reconstruction of 6th Street.
The $36 million 'reconnecting communities' grant will target a 2.6-mile stretch of 6th Street that runs between North Ave. and National Ave.
Both city and White House officials have said the changes will aim to make the street more accessible for cyclists, pedestrians and transit riders.
Danaiya Clinton said she frequently walks along 6th Street while walking to and from Riverside University High School. She described the process of crossing 6th as 'hectic,' especially when coming back in the later afternoon or evening.
"The cars, they just, they speed by," Clinton said. "And especially since it's a hill right here, they don't stop."
At the intersection of N. 6th St. and W. McKinley Ave., there were two large signs posted Wednesday reading, 'Project funded by President Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act.'
At 6th and McKinley in downtown Milwaukee, these signs are already up ahead of President Biden's arrival.
— A.J. Bayatpour (@AJBayatpour) March 13, 2024
He'll be announcing today Milwaukee is getting $36 million to rebuild a stretch of 6th Street that connects the city's north and south sides to downtown pic.twitter.com/SvMvEOvfw5
Tom Perez, a senior advisor to the president, insisted announcing the $3.3 billion grant program in Milwaukee, where Democratic turnout is key in this battleground state, was not an election year strategy.
"You know the old saying, 'the other side of the tracks'? That's what happened when you build the interstate right through communities," Perez said.
Perez was referring to the construction of Interstate 43/94, which led to a widening of 6th Street, which runs parallel to the freeway.
The 'reconnecting communities' program includes 132 projects, many of which involve interstates, connecting ramps or roads that run nearby. The $3.3 billion program is funded by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, which is expected to cost about $1 trillion by 2032, according to an updated review by the University of Pennsylvania.
Rebuilding 6th Street was one of nine major projects identified by the city in its 2040 master plan for downtown. The federal dollars will allow Milwaukee to cross that goal off its list.
The goal of rebuilding 6th Street is to make it more accessible by bike, foot and transit.
The key changes coming to 6th Street include narrowing the width of the street. Currently, much of the key 2.6-mile stretch spans four wide lines with additional parking lanes in each direction.
The overhaul will also include protected bike lanes along some stretches, as well as dedicated bus lanes and more greenery.
Jevekia Jackson, who attends classes at Milwaukee Area Technical College's Walker's Square location, said she'd welcome wider sidewalks and better bus stops.
"There's so much traffic," she said. "Some people don't really- like, sometimes, it's barged up there, and it's hard for us to walk across the street, so we feel like we might get hit."
The timeline for the project calls for the design phase to begin this fall. The first public meetings will happen early next year.
Construction is slated to begin in 2027 with the goal of finishing the project in 2029.