A four-year long interstate project that may have given southside drivers a headache has been completed a month ahead of schedule.

Officials from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, state legislators and community members gathered at the newly opened Layton Avenue entrance for a ribbon cutting ceremony Friday.

The Mitchell Interchange project was completed ahead of schedule and under budget.

“This is a beautiful new piece of Wisconsin’s infrastructure,” said State Rep. Mark Honadel, who represents Oak Creek. “We look at this particular interchange as a gateway to our state, the front door to our state (for) all our air travelers that come in here people from the south of Illinois that come through here.”

The project constructed a new and modern interstate on Interstate 43/94 between College Avenue and Howard Avenue, including I-894/I-43 from 27th Street to the system interchange. Crews built three new tunnels, 51 bridges, 50 retaining walls and 17 noise walls.

The new interchange features 300,000 tons of asphalt, 12,000 tons of steel, 13 miles of bridge girders and 17 miles of storm sewer.

“This is going to be a major improvement that’s going to be here for a generation,” said State Rep. Jeff Stone, who represents Greendale and Greenfield. “It doesn’t always only serve Franklin, Greenfield, Greendale, Milwaukee, Oak Creek and South Milwaukee, but it serves the entire state.”

The Layton Avenue interchange access to downtown Milwaukee via I-43/94 NB had been closed since late 2010 as part of the Mitchell Interchange Reconstruction

To help assist drivers navigate the ramps and roadways in the newly configured Mitchell Interchange, WisDOT has put together a "Mitchell Interchange User Guide." See below:

Low resolution document - Click here.
High resolution document - Click here.