DOT 89-14
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
Contact: Doug Hecox
Tel: 202-366-0660

U.S. Transportation Secretary Foxx Visits Madison's Proposed I-39/90 Expansion Project

MADISON, Wis. – U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx today joined Wisconsin Transportation Secretary Mark Gottlieb and other state and local leaders near the northern end of the proposed I-39/90 Expansion project to see first-hand the traffic congestion it would alleviate, and to call for greater investment in infrastructure nationwide.

"Hundreds of thousands of people depend on this route every day, and widening it will help it meet the needs of today and for years to come, said Secretary Foxx. "The I-39/90 expansion project is the sort of highway improvement America's drivers need, and it highlights the importance of passing the President's GROW AMERICA Act to ensure there is long-term funding for every state needing a project this ambitious.

The President's GROW AMERICA Act is a bold $302 billion, four-year multi-modal investment plan to address America's aging transportation network without contributing to the deficit. If passed, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) would receive an estimated $3.3 billion between 2015 and 2018, an increase of nearly 15 percent over the state's current federal funding.

The I-39/90 project is expected to cost nearly $1 billion and will rely on significant federal transportation funding. As one of the largest highway projects ever undertaken in south-central Wisconsin, it will stretch nearly 45 miles from US-12 and 18 Beltline Interchange to the Illinois state line.

When construction starts next year, WisDOT workers will reconfigure all 11 of the route's interchanges to make them safer and less congested. They will also widen the route from four lanes to six between US-12/18 near Madison to the Illinois state line, and to eight lanes between Avalon Road north to the WIS-26 interchange to accommodate projected traffic increases through the Janesville area.

"Projects like this mean safer driving, less traffic congestion and more business opportunities for residents between Madison, Janesville and Beloit, said Acting Federal Highway Administrator Gregory Nadeau. "An investment in Wisconsin's infrastructure is an investment in America's future.

In addition to serving the more than 362,000 residents who live along it, I-39/90 is a major commercial freight link connecting Chicago, Green Bay, Milwaukee and Minnesota's Twin Cities. According to WisDOT, about 35 percent of the route's total traffic consists of commercial trucks.

The GROW AMERICA Act also includes several critical program reforms to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of federal highway, rail and transit programs. Click here to learn more about the GROW AMERICA Act.

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