WisDOT proposal of 8-lane expansion of I-94 corridor faces mostly backlash at public hearing

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The Wisconsin Department of Transportation's proposal to widen the I-94 corridor to eight lanes through Milwaukee faced a lot of backlash at a public hearing Monday afternoon.

The meeting was the first of two this week that will allow people to weigh in on the plan that's slated to cost more than $1 billion. 

The public hearing was held at the State Fairgrounds. There was overwhelming opposition from people offering passionate -and at times heated- testimony in front of the WisDOT panel.

They attacked virtually every element of the proposal, urging WisDOT to reconsider the "Fix at Six" plan that would keep the freeway at six lanes instead of eight.

One person told the WisDOT panel, "Go back to the drawing board. Because this ain't it."

Another said, "Frankly, it looks like a case of powerful interests steamrolling the desires and needs of local residents."

And another: "It's bad for the people who live in the neighborhoods."

For several hours, people lined up at the lectern to sound off on WisDOT's proposed expansion of the I-94 corridor.

WisDOT's SE Freeway Design Chief Brian Bliesner said the department has heard many of those themes before: greater safety and minimal impact. He said, "It's our decision, but certainly what the public is saying weighs heavily on us. It's affected how we've gotten to this point; it's affected the design. The input they provide is a very valuable thing."

Before the hearing, groups gathered outside to protest the environmental and social impacts of the plan.

Christine Donahoe, a staff attorney with ACLU Wisconsin, said, "Expansion will increase noise pollution, air pollution, water pollution, and racial and transit inequities."

The critics who testified in front of the WisDOT panel represented community groups, like Gregg May of 1000 Friends of Wisconsin, who said, "When you do listen to the public, you come back with a better project."

They represented local governments, like Peter Burgelis, the Milwaukee County District 15 supervisor, who said, "This expansion is overpriced, uncalled for, and unnecessary."

And they represented impacted neighborhoods. One neighbor said of the proposal: "This is right above where our kids play kickball, it's right there."

Only two people spoke in favor of the eight-lane proposal. One was Suzanne Kelley of the Waukesha County Business Alliance. She called the current corridor outdated, congested, and unsafe, adding, "The drag on the economy gets worse with each passing year, and millions of motorists are inconvenienced and put at risk."

Outside of the public hearing session there were dozens of signboards and WisDOT employees ready to answer questions about the project.

As the process continues, the public will keep weighing in. And WisDOT said it will keep listening.

Bliesner said, "We'll probably get 1,000 pieces of information. So, you try to get those general themes and address as much of it as you can."

If everything goes according to plan, WisDOT expects the project would be completed in 2029.

But in the short-term, the public comment period ends in mid-January. WisDOT will then write a final environmental impact statement, which is essentially the decision document.

The next public hearing will be held Wednesday, Dec. 14, from 4 p.m. - 7 p.m. at Marquette University High School.